


Danganronpa: Project Chaos

by Mathias_09



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Original, Canon-Typical Violence, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Fangan Ronpa, Gen, Murder Mystery, Original Character Death(s), POV First Person, Prose Format, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:22:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 105,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21785152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mathias_09/pseuds/Mathias_09
Summary: 15 talented high-school students find themselves trapped in a strange series of buildings that closely resembles a school campus. As their numbers begin to dwindle, many conspiracies start to unfold before their eyes, forcing them to question their place in the world.Chapter Two: Much Ado About Nothing [COMING SOON]This story takes place in an original universe, but there will be references to canon Danganronpa. I highly suggest playing the three mainline games before reading this.I do not own Danganronpa. All rights go to Spike Chunsoft.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue: Our World of Chaos - Part I

**Author's Note:**

> This is my fangan project, "Danganronpa: Project Chaos". I hope you enjoy it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of January 2021, both the Prologue and Chapter One have been (somewhat) rewritten. For old readers, I'll detail the changes in the first part of Chapter Two (don't worry, there were very few major changes). For new readers... Hi! This version is a whole lot better. Enjoy!
> 
> I'm still working on character art, which can be found on the "Character Summary".

_Are we truly free?_

_They say we cannot change the past._

_They say we can shape the future._

_Yet, the future, too, has already happened._

_It is all set in stone—unchangeable._

_Things we comprehend._

_Things that will never be understood._

_They are one and the same._

_Our knowledge is made of nothing but mere theories._

_There are infinite answers._

_There is only one answer._

_Our freedom determines a contradictory scenario._

_If, by some miracle, one were to receive the power of God to control fate..._

_...The world would be entirely theirs._

_If our lives are not our own..._

**_...Then everyone should just die._ **

* * *

It was dark. Really dark. Why was it that dark? I didn't know.

"Damn," I muttered, slamming my left fist to the wall next to me. "...What exactly is going on?"

As I asked myself that, I realised I was trapped in an extremely tight space. The walls were made of metal, but I couldn't really notice anything else about them. It felt like I was being compressed by the world around me.

"Argh!" I cried, trying my hardest to free myself. With all of my strength, I was able to find a way out, stumbling and falling to the floor right afterwards. It turned out there had been a door in front of me. In fact, I'd been trapped inside a locker.

"A locker, huh? What a weird place to be trapped in," I said, looking back at what was for a brief moment a prison, with the door sprung open. There was also another locker in a similar situation to mine, but there was nothing residing inside it. "Well, that was awkward. Now... Um... Where am I?"

I looked around. There were a few disorganised tables and chairs. Right next to the window, there was a bigger desk _—_ a teacher's desk, to be more specific _—_ and behind it, a black board could be seen attached to the wall. It looked almost brand new, as if no one had ever used it.

 _This looks like... a classroom?_ I thought.

However, I still had a few doubts in my mind despite the explicit clues as to what that room actually was. It was obviously a classroom. Why else would there be tables, chairs and a black board? Perhaps I couldn't _believe_ it was a classroom. After all, I had just freed myself from a mysterious dark locker. No one in my situation would have predicted they were in a classroom. I honestly expected something... weirder.

"Ugh, my head hurts..." I said.

Why was I in a classroom? I couldn't think of any particular reason. Then, how had I got there? The last thing I remembered was getting in a taxi cab, which would take me to the airport. I was going to fly to the Kyouiku District, where I would be attending my new school. Well, I wouldn't call it a school, per se. It was a government project only for whom they called "Ultimates".

An Ultimate Student was someone who had been attending high school, and was the very best at what they did. In other words, a prodigy.

For instance, I, Daichi Abe, was the Ultimate Animator.

**Daichi Abe** \- **Ultimate** **Animator**

****

The government had scouted 15 Ultimate Students and invited them to participate in the "Ultimate Project". The purpose of this project was to strengthen the abilities of those so-called "Ultimates" so that they could help the country in the future. My guess was that it would be similar to a school, but with special extra classes that were meant for each one of us. Despite popular demand, however, they didn't out-right specify the details of the project.

In the flyers that had circled around during the previous few months, they kept saying that Ultimates were stronger when together. I didn't really know how an animator could help the country, though. I was just a random guy who was successful publishing a few animated shorts online. I was nowhere near the level of what people expected the Ultimates to be like.

Although there was a bit of negativity towards the project at first, the government didn't stop their plans. They reached out to the scouted students.

* * *

I'd just come home from school. I was trying to walk as fast as I could, as it seemed like a storm was approaching. I wasn't very athletic, so I began to pant after only a few minutes of running. At some point, it started to rain. Thankfully, I managed to protect myself from the rain with my bag. With that in mind, it was with extreme relief that I found myself in front of my house.

The house wasn't that big, but it was comfortable enough for me and my mother. However, what made it unique was the colour of the outside walls. They were painted bright yellow and contrasted with the other buildings, which were grey for the most part. Ever since I was a child, I felt almost like my house was a place of happiness amidst the boring stressful cityscape. My family had always been known for its different sense of style, although I didn't know if it was something to be proud of.

From the front window, I saw my mother cleaning the living room. She was using a vacuum cleaner, one she had bought the week prior. She appeared oddly delighted by how the machine operated, which was more than enough to make me smile.

I already had my hand on the doorknob when I noticed something laying on the floor, right at the doorstep. I picked it up, somewhat intrigued, as the mail never arrived on that day of the week.

It was a letter assigned to me. It was the first time I'd received any kind of letter. Surprised, I took a closer look at the white envelope. The paper was definitely different. It was stronger than the paper I'd usually work with. Moreover, in spite of the heavy rain that poured down from the sky, it was completely dry. If a letter ever looked expensive, it was that one. Finally, I flipped the envelope to look at its other side.

"Wh-What..."

I saw an instantly recognisable symbol, which had been plastered in all sorts of places in recent times. After all, it referred to a giant government project.

"UP... The Ultimate Project..."

Suddenly, the door in front of me opened, revealing the figure of my mother standing on the other side.

"Daichi!" she said angrily. "You're completely soaked! Why were you just standing there in the rain?! You could catch a cold!"

Not giving much thought to my mum's rambling, I contemplated the letter I'd got—it looked like it was shining, urging me to hurry up and read it.

"Hm?" my mother mumbled, noticing the thing in my hands. "A letter?"

"N-No, i-it's nothing!" I replied. Without wasting any time, I ran upstairs as fast as I could and entered my room. I locked the door.

I sat down on my chair and played around with the idea of opening the letter. Of course, curiosity eventually got the best of me.

**_Dear Daichi Abe,_ **

**_It's an honour to invite you to participate in the Ultimate Project. You'll be flying to the recently built Kyouiku district on February 29th, where the program is taking place. We hope you enjoy yourself during the six months you'll be spending alongside the other Ultimates. Your flight has already been paid, and the plane ticket came with this letter. We expect to hear from you at the airport once you arrive._ **

**_Sincerely,_ **

**_Prime Minister Tatsuma Toga_ **

"Prime Minister... Tatsuma Toga... That's a name I haven't heard in a while."

I stared at that letter for a while. It felt too unreal to me. Still, I knew I had to go there. I could not miss an opportunity like that. No one could stop me.

I felt somewhat happy. Fate was at my side. Or so I thought.

On the day specified in the letter, I woke up earlier than usual. My mother was still asleep. The sun had yet to rise.

Trying not to make a sound, I walked outside. The taxi I had called was already waiting for me in front of my house. Without looking back, I entered the cab. I couldn't remember anything from that point onwards.

* * *

_Then, could this be... the building where the Ultimate Project is taking place?_

After considering that possibility for a while, I discarded it. Why would I be trapped inside a school locker if that were the case? If so, it was really rude of them.

"This is too complicated... I need some fresh air."

I opened the classroom window, and a gust of air entered the room, breathing new life into it. Looking down from the window, I noticed I was on the second floor of a building.

I saw an open area delimited by a strange huge wall. Aside from that, it reminded me of a school campus. Past the wall, I could see a tall mountain range. The sun was at its peak.

"I-It's noon?!" I shouted, realising I had been sleeping for almost five hours. Had someone knocked me out? Why had I been unconscious for so long? As loads of questions kept flooding into my head, I decided to look around the building to find more clues.

I stepped outside the classroom and found myself in a wide corridor, with plenty of doors left and right. There was nothing that out-of-ordinary about it. The floor was made of a solid kind of wood, and the walls were painted blue. It seemed like a perfectly normal school hallway.

Not sure where to go next, I randomly opened the nearest door, which led me to a room almost identical to the one I had been in only a few seconds prior. However, there was a small difference between the two: one of the lockers in the new room was still closed. Instinctively, I went up to it and opened its door.

Just like I had, a brown-haired boy fell to the floor. He wore a worn-out jacket, which matched with his old and rough jeans. I also noticed he had small earrings. On top of all that, he wore a wooden necklace, whose shape resembled that of the peace symbol.

"H-Hey, wh-what's going on?" he asked me, looking around desperately.

"I could be asking you the same thing," I replied.

The boy didn't give that much attention to what I'd said.

"Oh, man..." he mumbled, concerned. "Y-You're h-here to do bad th-things to me, aren't you?! Why'd you kidnap me?! How did we even get here?!"

"W-Wait!" I said, taken by surprise by the boy's sudden accusation. "You see..."

I explained to him that my situation was the same as his and that I didn't know anything either. As I spoke, I took a closer look at his appearance. The most striking thing about it was surely his hairstyle, as it was quite unique. His hair was divided into two "spikes" that resembled lightning bolts. He also had freckles, though they weren't very noticeable at first.

"Oh, so you don't know why you're here either," he said, just as I finished talking.

After I had laid everything out for him, I started asking him a few questions, "Well then, my name's Daichi Abe. What's yours?"

The boy seemed lost in his own thoughts, but my voice brought him back to reality.

"M-My name? My name's Hayato Mizuki. It's very nice to meetcha," he answered. The boy looked less confused than before. Meeting another person might have been comforting for him.

We proceeded to inspect the classroom further. As I'd expected, it was exactly the same as the classroom I had woken up in.

"Hey, look over there!" Hayato said excitedly.

The boy was pointing towards the window. I tried to figure out what was the thing he seemed so interested in, but I didn't notice anything special.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Over there! Look closely!" he replied, pointing energetically towards a small black figure on the horizon. "It's a _Vultur gryphus_!"

"That doesn't really help a lot," I said. "Is it a bird?"

"Of course it is! And it's awesome!"

He was jumping around childishly, as if he'd just seen the most wonderful creature in the entire world.

"What's so interesting about it?" I asked.

"It's a rare bird only found in the Andean Mountains, in South America. I have never seen one before! It's sooooo exciting!"

I was in shock. The boy didn't seem surprised, though.

"W-Wait! Hayato, did you just say South America?!"

"Yeah, I did. That's what makes it so rare. We're really lucky we were able to see one! I'm so happy right now! I think-"

"That's not what I meant!" I shouted. "The thing is: does this mean _we_ are in South America? The last thing I remember is going to an airport in Japan!"

It took Hayato a few seconds to process my line of thought. Suddenly, he let out a loud scream.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"H-Hayato, calm down!" I said.

"I-I don't understand! Wh-What's going on?" he stuttered. "I-I don't remember going to South America either!"

Our situation was truly bizarre. The locker... The wall outside... The bird... Everything seemed abnormal about that perfectly normal place.

"We should get going," I said. "We have to investigate this building. We might find some clues as to why we're here."

"Okay!" Hayato said. "Let's go!"

The jump in Hayato's mood was a bit surprising. He had turned from scared to confident in a fraction of a second. He seemed to be the sort of guy that just went with the flow. His emotions appeared to shift around unpredictably. He also didn't seem particularly intelligent nor physically strong, but his energy never ended.

"Yahoo! We're going on an adventure! It's so exciting! My heart is pumping like crazy right now! C'mon Daichi, faster!"

I found him a bit annoying sometimes, though.

"By the way, Hayato. Does the term 'Ultimate Project' ring a bell to you?" I asked him as we left the room.

"How did you know?" he replied, surprised. "I am a part of the Ultimate Project."

"Really? Then you're also an Ultimate, right?" I said.

"Yes, I am! Then that must mean you're one, too! It's really cool to meet another Ultimate in person."

"Yeah, I think so too. I'm the Ultimate Animator. What about you? Are you the Ultimate Bird Watcher?"

"Of course not," Hayato giggled. "I just really like birds, you know. They're awesome! Anyway... You asked about my talent, right? They call me the Ultimate Pacifist!"

**Hayato Mizuki - Ultimate Pacifist**

_...Pacifist? How is that even a talent?_ I wondered. _Well, it does sound more useful for a country than "Ultimate Animator"... I guess I shouldn't complain too much._

"Pacifist? That's a really neat talent," I said. "What do you do? Do you help people around the world? Like an international aid worker?"

Hayato didn't really seem to know the answer to that question properly.

"Erm... Not really," he said. "I-I mean... I just... strive to bring peace to wherever I go."

 _Couldn't he be a bit more specific?_ I thought, a bit let down by Hayato's answer.

"That's still really important," I said. "This world is really in need of peace."

"Of course! Ya see, to me, peace is-"

Hayato meant to start a boring speech he had probably memorised a long time before arriving at that place.

"Hayato, I think we can talk about your concept of peace later, all right? We have more important stuff to do now."

"Uh, okay then!"

And so, I met Hayato Mizuki, the Ultimate Pacifist. The prospect of not being alone anymore made me somewhat more optimistic. However, I had the feeling that the situation we'd found ourselves in was so much worse than what we could have ever imagined.

* * *

**Prologue: Our World of Chaos**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! This was the first part of my fanganronpa, "Danganronpa: Project Chaos". What did you think? I'd love to hear your first impressions!
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!


	2. Maps

1\. Main Building  
2\. Dormitory  
3\. The little area with Hayato's favourite retro-looking benches  
4\. Temple  
5\. Incinerator Room  
6\. Laundry Room

* * *

** **Main Building** **

2nd Floor

** **

1st Floor

Basement

* * *

** Dormitory **

1st Floor

2nd Floor


	3. Prologue: Our World of Chaos - Part II

Hayato and I decided to check the other rooms in the corridor. Next to each door, there was a sign indicating the name of the room. The classroom we had just left was named "Class B". The one I was in originally was "Class A". In total, there were six classrooms, ranging from Class A to Class F. There were also a video room, an infirmary and two bathrooms.

"So, which one should we check first?" Hayato asked.

"Well, we could start with the classrooms," I said, "in alphabetical order."

Hayato raised an eyebrow. "Why in alphabetical order?"

"Why _not_ in alphabetical order?" I replied.

"Um... Okay! You got me there. Let's go, Daichi!" Hayato said, with a smile on his face.

We first checked Classes C and D, but, unfortunately, we didn't find anything of interest. They were both the same as Classes A and B, aside from the fact that there were three lockers instead of just two.

"Aw, man," Hayato said, letting out a sigh as we entered Class E. "There's nothing here either!"

"Yeah, you're right," I replied. "Still, there's one thing that's been bothering me."

"What is it?" he asked, confused.

"Well, you see. There are two lockers in classrooms A and B. On the other hand, C, D and E all contain three."

"And?"

"There are six classrooms in total. Only Class F is missing."

"I know that," he said. "What are you trying to say, Daichi? I don't get it."

 _Do I really have to spell it out for him?_ I thought.

"We two came out of one of those lockers, right? Then, wouldn't that mean there are sixteen people in this building?"

The last three classrooms we had investigated contained three lockers each. Class F was most likely the same. Two times two equals four. Three times four equals twelve. Twelve plus four equals sixteen. That's sixteen lockers. Considering there was one person per locker, it was only logical to assume there were sixteen people.

"Th-That's... awesome!" Hayato said. "You're a genius! Now we know we aren't the only ones here. If there are more of us, then it'd be a lot easier to find a way out!"

"Nevertheless, we can't really know for sure if they are willing to help us. Besides, I'm just speculating about there being more people in this building," I said, but couldn't quite shatter his optimism.

"Well, at least that possibility exists. I think that in and of itself is a very good thing!" Hayato replied. "Anyway, there's only one classroom left to check. Hurry!"

Even though nothing out-right unsettling had happened, I had begun to feel a little unsafe. The fact that there were most likely sixteen of us... Something about that specific number... It didn't sit right with me.

Not giving me the time to reflect on that any further, Hayato grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me to the Class F, the only classroom we had yet to explore.

"Look, Daichi! There's another person here!"

He was pointing to a lone girl, who was examining a locker. It was at that moment I noticed something strange about that classroom. It was different from the previous three _—_ there were only two lockers. It was the same as Class A and Class B. That would make fifteen in total, one fewer than what I had predicted. Did that mean anything? I didn't know.

 _Three classrooms have two lockers, and the other three have three,_ I thought. _I suppose there is a pattern there. Silly me..._

As I was pondering about what the number of lockers meant, Hayato turned to the girl and said, "Hello there! How're you doing?"

The girl looked back at us. She was wearing a pink shirt and had neon coloured blue shoes. Her hair was light brown and, just like mine, had decided to point upwards. It appeared to bend the laws of physics.

 _Well, I suppose it's nice to know I'm not the only one with this weird hair antenna thing,_ I thought, _though Hayato's hairstyle isn't that common either... Actually, what is it with Ultimates and unusual hairstyles?_

"Oh, hello! It's nice to meet you!" the girl said happily.

"Nice to meet you too!" Hayato replied. "My name's Hayato, and this is Daichi. It's great to see yet another person here!"

"Exactly!" she said. "The more the merrier, as they say."

"The more people there are here, the more fun we'll have," Hayato said, "wouldn't you agree, Daichi?"

"Y-Yeah..."

 _We've literally been kidnapped,_ I thought. _How can those two be so optimistic right now? Or is it just me being overly paranoid?_

"Um..." the girl mumbled. "I know we've just met, but... May I ask you something?"

"Go ahead," I said.

She pointed at one of the suspicious lockers. "Were you two also trapped inside one of those?"

"Yes, we were," I answered. "Were you also?"

"Yes... In fact, this was the very locker I was trapped in," she replied. "Well, that doesn't really matter anymore, does it? We can just ask the staff once we find them. Anyway, so... that makes us sixteen."

_Staff...? She's probably referring to the people behind the Ultimate Project. But the number she mentioned. Was it... sixteen? Perhaps my guess was right after all._

"Sixteen?" I asked. "So you're saying there are thirteen other people here, correct?"

"Yeah! I've met them all," the girl answered, "and they're all plenty friendly. And now, I suppose the whole Ultimate crew is here."

"Ultimate crew?" Hayato said. "Do you mean all Ultimate Students are here? All fifteen of us?! That's even better than what I had expected! It's obvious that all of this is just a prank from the staff. They're all probably laughing from behind the scenes!"

"Hayato, I don't really think-" I tried to convince him it was probably not a prank, but the girl interrupted me.

"I like your positivity, Hayato!" she exclaimed. "But, yes, everyone here is a part of the Ultimate Project, with only one exception..."

"An exception?" I asked. Actually, it was quite clear that there was someone who wasn't an Ultimate there. After all, the girl had said there were sixteen people, and there were only fifteen Ultimates, as far as I knew.

"Well, you should go meet everyone!" she said. "You'll eventually understand what I mean. Don't worry!"

"That's great and all, but I think you haven't introduced yourself yet," I said.

"Oh!" the girl gasped. "Haha! You're right, I'm so sorry. My name is Yoko Nakou. I am the Ultimate Lucky Student."

**Yoko Nakou - Ultimate Lucky Student**

****

"Well, it's really nice to meet you, Yoko," I said.

Unlike Hayato's unusual appearance, Yoko's was one of a perfectly normal high-school girl. A bit... too normal, in fact. Had I heard her talent correctly?

 _Ultimate Lucky Student..._ I thought. _Sixteen people... Yeah, there's definitely something going on here._

"Yoko, I don't think I quite understand your talent. Can you tell us more about it?" Hayato asked. "It sounds so cool!"

"Do you really think so?" Yoko replied, flustered. "Well, it's definitely not that great of a talent. All I did to earn it was win a lottery."

"A... lottery?" I said.

"Wow!" Hayato exclaimed. "Then you must have won a ton of money!"

"No, it's not _that_ kind of lottery," Yoko giggled. "Although... You _could_ say being a part of the Ultimate Project will probably bring us a lot of money in the future, but... that's besides the point. You see, the government ran a nation-wide lottery to select a random high-school student to participate in the Ultimate Project as the Ultimate Lucky Student."

"Hold on..." I said. "So, are you saying you're just lucky? Is that even a real talent?"

"Daichi!" Hayato gasped. "Weren't you a little too... blunt?"

"It's not an issue," Yoko said. "I've already said it's nothing that special or important. It's not that I'm super lucky, either. I was just lucky at the right moment. Still, even with my lack of actual talent, I hope I can get along with you all!"

"Yeah, me too!" Hayato replied. "Yahoo! Let's all be friends!"

"I think so too," I said. "After all, we'll probably live together until the project ends, so... about six months? Our lives here will be really difficult if we don't get along." 

"It's settled then! Let's make these the best six months of our lives!" Yoko said, cheerful.

That whole exchange felt awkward to me. _Extremely_ awkward. We had literally just met each other. How could they already be talking about being friends? Was that feeling really genuine?

 _Whatever..._ I thought. _This is just how first impressions usually go... right? Oh, well... I hope I didn't seem rude or anything..._

And so, we left Yoko and continued to explore the building. There was one thing bugging me at that moment: if there were sixteen of us and only fifteen lockers, then that meant one person hadn't been trapped in a locker. Whoever that was, they were most certainly suspicious.

 _Yoko mentioned there's someone here who isn't an Ultimate..._ I thought. _Could it be...?_

* * *

"Hey, Daichi, are you all right?" Hayato asked, noticing my concerned face.

"No, it's nothing," I replied.

Deep down, I was still wondering about the matter with the lockers. It was too suspicious for me to just dismiss it.

"Can we check the video room next?" Hayato said. "I've never been to one of those!"

"Um... Yes, sure, why not? It could end up being interesting."

Honestly, I wasn't really expecting much. To me, "video room" sounded a bit lame. The one we had at my previous school was painfully dull. What could someone find so interesting in a room with a bunch of computers which were always full of viruses? Shoving that aside, Hayato and I entered the video room.

Once inside, the first thing I noticed was the large monitor attached to the back wall. There were also fifteen computers, which were neatly arranged on four large tables. One girl with orange hair was staring at the monitor, while another one seemed to be investigating one of the computers.

"Um... Hello," I greeted the orange-haired girl. She wore a white and orange cap backwards and a matching jumper. She also had glasses on and was quite short for our age. To be frank, if I had met her on the street, I'd have thought she was just a kid.

"Yo, how's it going?" the girl replied.

"Well, we are investigating the building, and-" I said.

"Wow!" Hayato exclaimed, interrupting me. "Look at this monitor! It's huge!"

"I wonder what its purpose is..." I sighed.

"Yeah, I don't have the slightest clue. It doesn't seem to be plugged into anything," the girl commented. "It might be wireless, I think." 

"That makes more sense," I replied. "Anyway, my name's Daichi Abe, the Ultimate Animator, and his name is Hayato Mizuki, the Ultimate Pacifist."

Hayato didn't say a single word. His eyes were fixed on the huge screen, as if it were some sort of God.

"What's yours?" I asked, turning my head towards the girl.

"My name's Niko Tatsuya, the Ultimate Blogger! Nice to meet you!"

**Niko Tatsuya - Ultimate Blogger**

****

"Oh, so you're a blogger," I said. "That's interesting. What do you write about?"

"Anything you can imagine!" she replied. "I write reviews on games, TV shows, anime, books, comics, movies... Everything."

"That sure is a lot of stuff," I said. "What do you enjoy writing about the most?"

"Uh, maybe video game essays? But... do you _really_ want me to talk about them?"

"Why not? Is there a problem?"

"Not really... It's just that when I start talking about something I enjoy, people say I can't really stop..."

_I like video games... Probably._

I didn't have anything to lose, right? I'd just make her happy. After all, it was like Yoko had said.

 _I'm going to spend the next few months of my life with these people,_ I thought. _I have to at least try to be friendly._

"I don't see any issue," I finally said.

"Really? Yay!" Niko said, her eyes shining with excitement. "All right, then! What should we start with? Oh, yeah! I think we could start with The Legend of Zilda timeline. Oh! Oh! Then, we could discuss the Fates series chronology! Okay, let's get this rolling, then! Everything began when..."

_I regret everything._

"Okay, maybe later, Niko..." I said, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Whatcha' talking about, Daichi?!" Hayato shouted. "It seems so interesting! This 'Fate' thing sounds important! Keep it going, Niko!"

 _Since when has he been paying attention to this conversation?!_ I wondered. _Oh well..._

I left Hayato and Niko talking and decided to introduce myself to the other girl, the one using the computer. However, I could still hear the other two talking.

"So, what did you think?" Niko asked Hayato.

"It was amazing!" Hayato said. "You're so knowledgeable, Niko!"

"Do you really think so?!" Niko exclaimed, cheerful. "Yay! Do you want me to keep going?!"

"Yes! That would be awesome! Can we talk about birds after we finish?"

"Of course! I love birds! They're so cute!"

 _It looks like they got along pretty well,_ I thought.

Either way, I tried to introduce myself to the other girl. She wore green and white clothes alongside a big grey skirt. She was short, but still way taller than Niko. Her hair was light brown _—_ almost blond _—_ and really messy. As I'd mentioned before, she sat in front of one of the computers.

"Uh, hello?" I said, to no response. The girl's eyes appeared to be completely glued to the computer screen. "Are you listening?"

I tried to communicate with the girl for a while, but it was of no use.

 _Maybe she's deaf..._ I thought.

"Hi! Are you there?!" I insisted, one last time. Unknowingly, I might have spoken a little too loudly, judging from the girl's startled response.

"Ah!" she cried. "O-Oh! I-I-I d-didn't see you th-there! I-I-I'm so sorry!"

The girl was on the verge of crying. She jumped out of her chair and bowed to me.

"I am truly sorry! I hope you are able to forgive me for my rudeness!"

It was an awkward situation for both of us.

"I-It's no problem!" I replied. 

"R-Really?" she said, sobbing. "I thought I was being-"

"Don't worry about it," I said. "So, what's your name? I'm Daichi Abe."

"My name? Well, my name's Chihiro Toga, the Ultimate Programmer, though I don't think talking about my talent will make for a better first impression. It's nothing that special, really..."

**Chihiro Toga - Ultimate Programmer**

****

"Wh-What did you just say? Toga?!" I said in shock. I had seen that name pop up a lot of times before, especially during the few weeks preceding the scheduled start of the Ultimate Project.

"Yes, I suppose you know my dad..."

After reflecting more about it, I remembered hearing something about Tatsuma Toga's daughter being selected for the Ultimate Project. However, that was just a rumour, as the government had made a promise not to reveal any of the Ultimates' identities.

 _...Well, I suppose it wasn't *just* a rumour,_ I thought.

"You're the Prime Minister's daughter!" I exclaimed.

"Well, most people here know who my dad is... He's really amazing, I know... But... Please don't bring him up..."

"Um... Why?" I asked.

"Well... I-I don't really like being compared to him... I think people expect too much from me... Their expectations are way beyond what they should be."

_She has a point... I hadn't really thought about that. I suppose I should be a little nicer with her..._

"What are you talking about? The title of 'Ultimate Programmer' is fantastic! Programming is a huge part of modern society."

"I agree with you, but it's just that I don't think I was made for it... I've been around technology all my life, but the pressure people put on my shoulders is too much for me. I don't think I'm strong enough to handle it..."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine. Although... I'm not really qualified to talk about that, honestly. I probably would crumble under the pressure."

"Huh? Aren't you an animator? If you were picked for the Ultimate Project, you are probably really famous, aren't you?"

"Well, I guess you'd be correct, but..." I admitted. "You see, it's just that I post my animations online under another name..."

"And what would that name be?" Chihiro asked. "I love animation! I might have seen one of your works."

"Uh... Well..."

Honestly, I _really_ didn't want to answer that question. That was a secret no one would ever know.

"I-I apologise!" Chihiro said. "I'm very sorry for being so nosy!"

"It's no big deal," I replied. "It's just that I'm not really comfortable talking about it..."

"Let's change the topic, then!"

Chihiro turned to the computer and showed me something very intriguing.

"Huh, that's weird..." I said.

There wasn't anything in the computer, besides a video player application. There were no files, no browser... Not even a background image... Nothing.

"I tried everything," Chihiro said. "And yet, I couldn't find anything in this computer."

"That's very interesting... Very interesting, indeed. Thanks for the information, Chihiro. I'll be sure to note that."

She blushed. "R-Really...?"

 _Chihiro seems a bit... familiar?_ I thought. _I definitely know her name from the newspapers, but... something about her reminds me of... someone else..._

Chihiro's personality, talent and even her name... It sounded similar to a fictional character from a game I'd played. 

_Is she cosplaying or something?_ I wondered. _Nah, it must be just a coincidence. Another coincidence..._

"I'm happy I was able to help," Chihiro said. "I must say... It was great talking to you, Daichi."

"Huh?" I replied. "Me?"

"I don't really know why, but... It felt really nice to talk to you," she giggled.

Either way, after saying goodbye to Chihiro, I was finished with the video room. Before leaving, I checked on Hayato, who was still chatting with Niko. I could hear something about rainbows and ducks, though I didn't pay that much attention to it. I figured it was better to let them finish their... eccentric conversation. And so, I left the video room alone and resumed my investigation.

* * *


	4. Prologue: Our World of Chaos - Part III

_...Where should I go next?_ I asked myself. _Since the infirmary is the only room left on this floor, I suppose it'd be the best option._

Alone, I went to the infirmary. It was very close to the video room. The doors were pure white, with two rectangular glass windows that allowed me to view the inside from the corridor.

I peeked through one of the windows before opening the door. Inside, there was a short girl wearing a long white coat. Just like Niko, she had long orange hair, though hers was really messy and a bit brighter than the blogger's. She was checking the bottles inside a cabinet, and thus, I couldn't see her face.

"Excuse me," I said, just as I entered the room. It was predominantly white, with a few light-blue cabinets attached to the walls. In the centre of the room, there were two beds, with nightstands next to each one of them. I could also notice some complex medical machines, though I didn't have the slightest idea how to operate them.

 _So this is the infirmary..._ I thought. _Where are the professional doctors, though? The only person here is this girl..._

The aforementioned girl in the lab coat was still crouched, looking into the cabinet.

_She can't be a doctor, right? She looks way too young._

I walked up to the girl, trying not to disturb her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but could you give me your name?" I asked. "Um... I am Daichi Abe."

"WH-WHAAAAAT?!" she shouted. She stood up and pointed her finger at me. "How could you possibly not know the name of the great Kaya Suzuya?!"

I fell back, startled by the girl's abrupt over-the-top reaction.

"You recognise me now, don't you?" she said. "Wahahaha! I knew that even the dumbest of morons would know the name of the great Kaya Suzuya! Wahahaha!"

I tried to recall the name of as many celebrities as I could, but "Kaya Suzuya" was not among them.

 _I sense a superiority complex,_ I thought.

"I apologise," I said, trying my best to be rational with her. "I'm afraid I don't know that name."

I was expecting the girl to start crying, or even to get really angry at me. However, she just started laughing compulsively.

"WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!"

_She's... loud... Too loud..._

"H-Hey, could you please calm down?" I asked. "Why are you laughing?"

"I was foolish to believe you had the knowledge to recognise that great name!" she laughed. "But fear not! Because, from now on, you'll remember the grrrreat name of Kaya Suzuya, the Ultimate Mad Scientist! WAHAHAHA!"

**Kaya Suzuya - Ultimate Mad Scientist**

****

_Mad scientist..._ I thought, confused as to how a talent as abnormal as that had been conceived in the first place. _Well, at least that explains why she's so... obnoxious..._

Everything about Kaya's behaviour up until that point started making a little more once I understood the nature of her talent. However, that still didn't excuse her attitude towards me.

"Why _mad_ scientist?" I asked, trying my hardest not to lash out at her. "Why not just... scientist?"

"Well, well... It seems as though you're more ignorant than I'd predicted..."

"Wh-What do you mean!?" I exclaimed.

"WAHAHAHA! It's 'mad scientist' because I've got my signature evil laugh! WAHAHAHA!"

_Okay, I take it back. Nothing that comes out of that girl's mouth makes any sense whatsoever._

"I understand it now..." I lied. To my surprise, the girl appeared to buy it. "Thanks for explaining."

 _I don't have the time to deal with her shouting nonsense at me..._ I thought.

"Do you have any more dumb questions, Mr. Abe?" Kaya asked.

Although I wanted to say no with every fibre of my soul, I had to ask her, "What's up with these bottles?"

The bottles inside the cabinet were labelled with really strange names I had never heard before. There were five of them in total, no replacements in sight. They looked... important, somehow. I honestly expected them to be fake, but Kaya seemed to know them all.

Kaya struck a pose, similar to the ones you'd find in a cartoon. "Okay! Time for some exposition! Behold, the infirmary bottles!"

_You seriously don't have to shout all the time! I'm right next to you, dammit!_

Kaya pointed at a bottle labelled _Opmoc Odal._ "This one is an antidote to a specific type of poison named _Aldo Compo_ —the poison itself is in the bottle right next to it."

"Poison..." I mumbled. What would poison be doing in that facility? _Aldo Compo_ , the poison, was a green liquid. I became nauseated simply by looking at it.

 _Well, if something goes wrong,_ I thought, _at least we have the antidote here._

I shifted my attention over to the next bottle.

"The bottle in the middle is _Bedimmeo Ored,_ " Kaya continued.

"And what does it do?" I asked.

"It's medicine for stomach ache. And it's orange-flavoured! My favourite!"

Kaya took a pill from the bottle and put it into her mouth.

"Yay! It's delicious!" she said happily. "Do you wanna try some, Mr. Abe?"

 _Is it safe to take medicine as if it were candy?_ I thought. _Definitely not..._

"No, thanks," I replied. "Anyway, what's in the next bottle?"

"It's _Miz Arfod,_ " she said. "It's a drug that helps people with insomnia, making them fall asleep almost instantly."

"I see... And what about the last bottle?"

"WAHAHAHA!" Kaya laughed. "It's the most interesting one of them all! So listen carefully, or else you might get lost in my explanation."

I nodded my head. The bottle in question contained a colourless liquid that resembled water.

"This liquid is called _Foeti Poesied._ Let's say, for example, that you take it right after some _Miz Arfod_ . In this scenario, _Foeti Poesied_ would make the effects of _Miz Arfod_ not manifest themselves right away. Of course, you'd feel sleepy for a while, but you'd only actually fall asleep after a couple of days."

"Oh, so it makes the effects of another drug only manifest themselves after a certain amount of time?"

Kaya laughed. "Wahahaha! You're correct, Mr. Abe! It appears as you're not as ignorant as I'd thought!"

"But what happens when you consume it without ingesting another drug first?" I asked.

"Well... nothing," Kaya replied. "...I think."

I became really intrigued by _Foaty Poeyside_ or whatever it was called. What purpose would it have? After all, I couldn't think of any plausible reason someone would decide to take it instead of just consuming the right drug at the appropriate moment.

 _Well, I suppose I'm not a doctor,_ I thought. _It must have some kind of practical use._

There were more instructions in the back of the bottles, but they didn't look important enough for me to read them. They were way too long, and I didn't want to spend that much time investigating a single room. Still, I made a mental note to read them later. After all, Kaya didn't seem the most reliable source of information.

"Thanks for the explanation, Kaya," I said.

_At least she's being nice now..._

"WAHAHAHAHA! And, once again, the great Kaya Suzuya shares her tremendous knowledge with an inferior life form!"

_Maybe not..._

"I'm sorry, Kaya, but what you've been saying is really rude," I said. "Could you please be a little more polite when talking to others?"

I tried to be polite with her. I couldn't just say what I had in my mind out loud...

Kaya froze in place. Her skin became a little paler and her big smile disappeared.

"Wh-What are you insinuating?" she muttered. "Th-That's..."

I raised an eyebrow. "How come?"

"THAT'S BULLYING!" she cried. "You're bullying me just because I'm smarter than you! You big bad bully!"

Kaya got defensive and started biting her own nails.

"H-Hey Kaya, I wasn't trying to-" I tried to calm her down, but there's no way in hell I could.

"STOP IT!" she shouted. "THAT'S BULLYING!"

"I-I apologise!" I bowed to her. That seemed to ease the situation a bit.

"I-I see..." she muttered. "But don't bully me again! The great Kaya Suzuya gives you her pardon only this once!"

I didn't want to spend one more second in that room, and so, I ran back to the corridor. Thinking back on it, Kaya probably had had some kind of problem regarding bullying in the past. Although she had been really rude to me, she didn't seem like a bad person. Anyway, since I had explored the entirety of that floor, I went down the stairs to the floor below.

There was a big entrance hall, with a pair of doors leading outside. I could also see a dining hall, as well as another corridor. There were two rooms in said corridor—the "shop" and the "gym"— and, at the end of it, there was a stairway, which I presumed led to some sort of basement.

First, I decided to explore the shop. Inside, there was a weird machine in front of a large glass window. It resembled a slot machine, similar to the ones found in a casino. Behind the window, there were objects of all kinds, such as books, accessories and toys. The walls and floor were dark-grey, almost like a factory. A tall blond boy was inspecting the machine, probably trying to figure out how it worked. His hair was short, and he wore formal clothes—a grey suit, alongside a blue tie.

"Hey," I called him, but to no response.

The boy glanced at me for a brief second before going back to examining the machine.

"Hello?" I insisted. "Could you at least tell me what you're doing?"

"I am just trying to understand this machine..." he finally answered. "Seems like it's supposed to grab a random present from the ones back there."

"I see..." I muttered. "Anyway, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Daichi Abe, the Ultimate Animator. Nice to meet you."

"Great," he replied. "Now leave. I can't waste any more time. Just like they say... Time is money."

"M-Money? How can you possibly be thinking about money at a time like this?" I said, somewhat annoyed.

"Don't you see it?" he replied. "This might end up becoming a great business opportunity."

I scratched my head. "Business... opportunity?"

"Well, yes," he said. "There are plenty of people here. And most of them will likely become friends with each other. Therefore, they are going to need those presents."

 _What even is that logic?_ I thought.

The boy, who was previously crouched next to the machine, stood up. I finally got a chance to look at his face—he was grinning mischievously.

"Anyhow," he continued, "you're slowing me down. Could you please leave now?"

_I already despise this guy..._

"Can't you at least tell me your name?" I insisted. "Don't you want us to become friends or whatever it is you were talking about?"

I tried to seem intimidating in front of that guy. Unlike Kaya, whose personality was completely off-the-wall, he tried to appear logical with his statements, even though they made no sense whatsoever. And I found that _extremely_ annoying.

"That's a valid point," the boy said. "My name is Itaki Shimamoto, founder and CEO of the Shimamoto Corporation and the Ultimate Businessman. I'd be happy if you could become friends with everyone. That would help me immensely,"

**Itaki Shimamoto - Ultimate Businessman**

****

_*The* Shimamoto Corporation..._ I thought. _Is he really the founder? Damn... If that's true, then he must be absurdly rich..._

The Shimamoto Corporation was one of the biggest conglomerates in the whole country—no, even bigger than that: they were certainly among the biggest in the world. They were incredibly powerful and had control over countless products. Some conspiracy theorists believed that they participated in many schemes, though none of it was ever proved. I'd never imagined the CEO of such an important company was actually just a high-school student like me.

"What do you say?" Itaki said. "Do you promise to be friends with everyone here?"

_What's he even talking about...?_

"You don't seem to understand my reasoning," Itaki said. "Please, let me explain."

I didn't nod or say anything in response.

"It's really simple, actually," Itaki said, still grinning. "People tend to spend more money when they're happy."

 _God, save me..._ I thought, letting out a sigh. Itaki's wryly smile disappeared.

"If you're not interested, would you please leave me alone for the time being?" he said as he opened the door of the shop.

"Of course," I replied, relieved. As I was leaving the room, I wondered about how attached a human being could theoretically be to an imaginary concept such as money. Whatever limit you set up, Itaki certainly surpassed it...

_Well, at least the other Ultimates won't be as weird as the last two... Right?_

* * *

My next stop was the gym. Oddly enough, it looked normal. It was just the standard dodge-ball court, with a wooden stage in the back for speeches and such. On top of said stage, there was a plain-looking podium, with a microphone left on top.

...Well, there was _one_ weird part about that gym: the tall grey-haired boy staring at me from the centre of the court. He was wearing a robotic-like monocle, alongside a blue jacket with mathematical symbols imprinted on it.

"Oh, hello there, said Masuta," said the boy, waving his hand to me. I noticed he spoke as if he was a narrator of a story and, the more that I reflected about it, the weirder it seemed.

"Uh, hi?" I said. "I'm Daichi Abe, the..."

"The Ultimate Animator, of course, interrupted Masuta," he interrupted.

The boy smiled from ear to ear. I thought he was probably just happy, but he was most certainly creepy.

"H-How did you know my talent?" I asked.

 _Have I met this guy somewhere before?_ I thought. _I don't know what, but something about him seems familiar..._

"I know everything, silly! That's what Masuta responded," he responded.

The government hadn't revealed who the Ultimates were. If so, then how could he have known my talent?

"Okay..." I said. "Firstly, could please stop talking like that? It's starting to get annoying."

"Yes, sir!" he shouted. "From now on, I won't speak like that!"

 _Well, he is definitely easier to deal with than Kaya_ , I thought, remembering how hard it had been to convince the mad scientist to be less obnoxious.

"Thank you," I replied. "Secondly, who are you? What do you mean by 'knowing everything'? Are you perhaps a member of the project staff?"

"That's three questions I can't properly answer just yet... Well, my name's Masuta Kikai! I'm the Ultimate Game Master! I know everything that's happening in this world!"

**Masuta Kikai - Ultimate Game Master**

****

"And because you're here in this world, I know everything about you, too, Daichi!" he explained. "Well, _mostly_ everything. I do believe that we'll be great friends! Yay!"

In a way, Masuta was similar to Hayato. They both acted childishly and had a positive personality. However, Masuta just seemed... weirder.

_I've been using that word a lot, haven't I? But I can't help it when these people are just *weird*!_

"So, Masuta, was it?" I said. "What do you do as the 'Ultimate Game Master'? Do you run RPGs or stuff like that?"

"Nope!" he answered, always with a huge smile. "I'm preparing a special game! A very special game, indeed! I hope you look forward to it!"

"G-Game?" I stuttered. "What are you even saying? If this is really the Ultimate Project, we shouldn't be playing games!"

"Well, well, I suppose you'd be right... but is this really the actual Ultimate Project? Upupupupu..."

"What are you implying?" I asked. "Are you saying that everything that's been going on wasn't planned?"

"Of course it was planned, my friend!" Masuta said cheerfully. "Either way, don't linger on this matter any longer! You're gonna have the answers you seek eventually!"

_...Eventually?_

I didn't know how to continue a conversation like that.

_If this is not the Ultimate Project... then what in the world is going on here?!_

"I can see you're still troubled..." Masuta said. "Don't worry! I assure you, it's gonna be so much fun!"

"F-Fine," I muttered. "I'll be on my way. Nice to meet you, Masuta."

"It was very nice getting to meet you in person, Daichi!" he said, as I swiftly went through the gym door.

I was extremely dazzled. That guy practically shouted suspicion. He was by far the strangest person I had met so far. And he had quite some competition... I could still hear Masuta laughing childishly from the corridor.

"Upupupupu..."

That laugh... I knew where it came from. Perhaps, we were really in... No. I hoped things wouldn't turn out that bad. It may have been just bad planning from the staff. Yeah, I wasn't caught up in a kidnapping or anything like that. Definitely.

"Upupupupu..."

I was safe. Completely safe.

Completely... safe...

...

* * *


	5. Prologue: Our World of Chaos - Part IV

"Daichi!" someone called me from behind. "Wait!"

I turned around to see Hayato breathing panting, exhausted from running.

"I'm sorry!" he said. "I totally forgot we were going to investigate together!"

"It's all right," I said. "What about Niko? Weren't you talking to her?"

"She said she was going to stay with Chihiro," Hayato replied. "Apparently she was too scared to be left alone."

"I see..." I said. "Anyway, I'm going downstairs to explore the basement. Would you like to come with me?"

Hayato leapt with excitement. "Of course! Let's go!"

And thus, Hayato and I made our way to the basement of the building. There were only three rooms, all of which were connected by a large barely-lit hallway. They were a library, a warehouse and...

"A... memorial?"

Hayato and I opened the door to this so-called "memorial". A creepy sound echoed through the hall, and we found ourselves in front of complete darkness. I felt a shiver going down my spine.

"...Daichi?" Hayato called me. His legs were shaking, and he looked a bit pale. "Do you really think we should go in there? I-Is it safe?"

I stayed silent for a moment, but then said, "Let's take a look inside."

 _I think it's better if we check every room in this building..._ I thought. _Otherwise, we might miss important clues as to what exactly is going on here._

We entered the dark room. To my surprise, it didn't feel that big. However, because of the darkness, I couldn't see anything there. The place seemed completely empty.

_...How can this even be called a memorial? There's no statue, no portraits, not even a single flower._

"Dammit," I muttered. "Is this really just an empty room? Say, Hayato, have you found anything yet?"

"D-Daichi, I think I found something..." Hayato said, almost inaudible.

I followed Hayato's voice to the centre of the room. There was a table there, but there was nothing on top of it.

"Th-This is getting creepy real fast..." Hayato whispered. "I-I'm not the biggest fan of eerie atmospheres..."

"L-Let's get out of here," I said. 

"Are you scared, Daichi?"

"Me?! Scared?! Of course not!" I replied. "It's just that... u-um... there's nothing of interest in this room."

We left the room as quickly as we could. Once the door closed behind us, I let out a sigh of relief.

"L-Let's not go in there ever again, Daichi," Hayato said.

"Agreed," I replied.

_What even is the purpose of this room?_

* * *

The closest room to the memorial was the library. Five giant bookshelves extended from the entrance to the back of the room. There were all kinds of books, though I could notice a not-so-small number of mystery novels. Right near the door, there was a small and round wooden table. Sitting on the chair next to it, a grey-haired girl calmly read a thick book. She wore a red dress and round glasses.

"Hello!" Hayato greeted her. "How're you-"

"Shhh..." the girl interrupted. "This is a library. You must speak quietly."

I had to pay the utmost attention to the girl's voice to grasp what she was saying. It was as if she could only whisper.

"Now," she whispered, "if you want to talk to me about anything, I am all ears."

"My name is Daichi Abe, the Ultimate Animator," I whispered back. "The boy over here is Hayato Mizuki, the Ultimate Pacifist. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too," she said. "Have a seat."

Hayato and I sat down on the two remaining chairs.

The girl closed her book. "My name is Saeka Takamoto. They call me the Ultimate Bookworm."

**Saeka Takamoto - Ultimate Bookworm**

****

"Bookworm?" Hayato asked. "So you're really good at... erm... reading books?"

"You could put it that way. However, it does sound a bit... improper," Saeka said. "I prefer to say that I'm good at _interpreting_ books."

"And why would that be?" I said.

"I believe dissecting a story is by far the most important, yet complex, part of reading," Saeka explained. "When a character's backstory is revealed, for example, it recontextualises everything that came before it. And once you start noticing these small details, you are able to access another layer of the story."

"Another... layer?" I said, intrigued.

Saeka nodded. "Yes. I named that layer the 'author's layer'. It represents not what is actually written, but what the author is trying to convey. This layer is what makes a story 'deep' or 'complex' and, in my opinion, it is more important than the story itself. That is also when the concept of 'themes' comes into play."

"I understand your point of view, Saeka," I said. "The themes and underlying messages of a story are what truly makes it shine."

"D-Did you understand that, Daichi?!" Hayato stuttered. "You really are smart..."

"Since I'm an animator, it's only logical I'm into storytelling," I explained.

Hayato seemed intrigued by our conversation. "Can you give me an example of what you're talking about? The thing about themes?"

"Themes define what the story is trying to tell its readers," Saeka replied, "and thus, they vary a lot in complexity. In fact, some stories have themes which can be described with only a single word."

"Let's say you have a story with the theme of.... 'fate'," I said. "Usually, you'll be able to notice how the theme shapes the plot and the characters... In the case of this story about fate, some of the characters might be trying to change their fate, while others have to accept it."

"How are you even able to notice these things?!" Hayato exclaimed, amazed.

"Well, in most cases, that only comes to light during a second read," I replied.

"You must have patience," Sakea said. 

"Precisely..." I said. "By the way, I have a question, Saeka."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Why are we whispering anyway? We're the only people here."

Saeka looked around and let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's a habit of mine. I just prefer the silence, especially when I'm in a library..."

"Don't get me wrong," I replied, "I love silence as well. It's just that... it seems inappropriate to talk in this manner right now."

"I see..." she said. "But I could swear there was another person here..."

"Another person?" I asked.

"Yes," Saeka confirmed. "In fact, he had green hair, just like you."

I averted my eyes. "Green hair, huh..."

Since I had yet to meet a guy with green hair, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of person he was.

Saeka gave us a faint smile. "Nevertheless, it was great talking to you, Daichi and Hayato."

"Yes!" Hayato replied. "It was really..."

Hayato stopped for a second to think of the word best suited for the situation.

"Interesting!" he shouted. "Yes, very interesting, indeed!"

* * *

Hayato and I left the library and went to the last room in the basement. It was by far the largest of the three.

"So this is the warehouse..." I said, as we opened the door.

There were all kinds of items, such as kitchen utensils and high-tech cameras, stored in giant shelves, just like the books were in the library.

Not counting Hayato and myself, there were two people in the room: a bearded man wearing a sleeveless shirt and a girl with long hair in a beige coat.

"H-Hey, y-you there," the man called us. He had black curly hair, which connected to his black beard. He was extremely tall and bulky. His shirt was mostly grey, though it had a big yellow stripe. "D-D you guys really think this place is safe?"

"What do you mean? It's just a warehouse," the girl replied. Her beige coat matched with her French-style beret. A single lock of her red hair hid part of the right side of her face. She was also wearing a red tie and a white shirt beneath the coat. 

"I-It's just that..." the man stuttered.

"What do you think might happen?" Hayato asked. "I mean, those shelves can't fall down on us."

"WAAAH!" he shouted. "Th-That's exactly it! And you can't be sure it won't happen!"

"I've been in rooms like these countless times before," the girl replied. "And I assure you there's no way that'll happen."

"R-Really?" he asked.

"Of course!" she confirmed. "Don't you see it? Those shelves are attached with screws to the ground. Even if someone pushed them, they wouldn't fall!"

The girl had a warm smile on her face, which seemed to comfort the worried man.

"Th-Thanks, I suppose..." he said. "But it's always good to be careful."

"And you," the girl turned around to face Hayato and me. "What are your names? You haven't introduced yourselves yet. I'm Amaya Chinen, Ultimate Detective."

**Amaya Chinen - Ultimate Detective**

****

"I'm Daichi Abe, the Ultimate Animator," I said. "And he's Hayato Mizuki, the Ultimate Pacifist."

"I will be sure to note that!" Amaya exclaimed, taking an old notebook out of her pocket. "Now, can you please tell me more details about yourselves? Like, where are you from? What's your favourite colour? What about your favourite food, restaurant, bug, chemical element and-"

"It'd be awesome, but..." Hayato said, "I-I'm not the best when it comes to interviews..."

"...I think we can do this at a later time, Amaya," I said.

Amaya puffed out her cheeks. "What are you saying?! There's always time for an interrogation! That way, we'll learn a lot more about each other!"

"I-Interrogation?!" Hayato stuttered. "Wasn't it gonna be a simple interview?!"

"P-Please don't argue!" the man jumped in front of Hayato. "I-It's not healthy!"

"You're right..." Amaya sighed. "Okay, I might have got a bit worked up there. Sorry!"

"It's no big deal," I replied.

Never taking her eyes off me, Amaya stepped closer. "...For your information, the correct answer is chromium."

 _...Nitrogen is my favourite, but this is a conversation for another day,_ I thought.

After she'd calmed down, Amaya stored her notebook and her pen back in her pocket.

"Great then," the man said, pleased. "Oh! I-I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? I'm Denki Kabayashi. I-I'm the Ultimate Bodyguard. It's very nice to meet you."

**Denki Kabayashi - Ultimate Bodyguard**

****

_Bodyguard?_ I thought. _That explains why he's so careful about everything._ _Still, he looks way too easily scared for that kind of job._

"Wow, Denki!" Hayato said, amazed. "That's such a cool talent!"

"Really?" Denki replied, flattered. "Even though it can be scary sometimes, I'm really glad I'm able to help others. If you guys need someone to protect you, you can ask me!"

"Thanks, Denki!" Amaya replied. "You're so sweet!"

"Th-Thank you..." he said, red-faced.

Beneath that powerful exterior, Denki seemed to be a kind and sensitive person.

 _I guess we shouldn't judge a book by the cover,_ I thought.

"Okay!" Hayato said. "Let's keep exploring, Daichi!"

"Fine," I replied.

As we were leaving, Hayato turned back to our two new friends and said, "See you later!"

* * *

Hayato and I left the warehouse and went back to the first floor. Once there, we headed to the dining hall.

In the centre of the room stood a large table, covered with a white tablecloth. Surrounding it, there were sixteen identical chairs. I could also notice a few flower pots, though there were no flowers. There was a blue-haired boy sitting on one of the chairs. He was short and wore a dark-grey uniform. He was talking to a dark-haired girl wearing a black suit, who was sitting next to him.

"Onoji, it seems like there is plenty of food here!" the girl exclaimed, happy. "Would you like something to eat?"

"Yes, that would be nice," the boy said. "Thanks a lot, Aiko."

"No problem!" she replied, heading to the door in the back of the hall, which appeared to lead to the kitchen.

"Uh, hello?" the boy called us. "May I help you two?"

"Hi," I greeted him and sat down on one of the chairs. Hayato did the same.

"So, who are you?" the boy asked. "I suppose you're Ultimates."

"Yes, we are!" Hayato replied. "I'm Hayato Mizuki, the Ultimate Pacifist."

"And I'm Daichi Abe, the Ultimate Animator," I said. "What about you?"

The boy replied politely, "I'm sorry, but you misunderstand. Uh... How do I put this... You see, I am not an Ultimate."

"Huh?" Hayato looked surprised. "You're not?"

"Yes, unfortunately, I am not a part of the acclaimed Ultimate Project," the boy confirmed.

 _So that's the person Yoko was referring to..._ I thought. Though I would have considered him suspicious at first, he looked really gentle and polite.

"I believe this is the appropriate time to introduce myself," he continued. "My name is Onoji Deminnerv. It's a pleasure to meet you."

**Onoji Deminnerv - Ultimate ???**

****

"I-I don't think I'll be able to pronounce that!" Hayato exclaimed, astonished by the complexity of his last name.

The boy giggled in response.

"Well, I must admit, it does sound strange," he said, smiling. "It's a foreign surname. In fact, I'm not from here."

"Really?" I asked. "Where are you from then?"

Onoji hesitated for a few seconds before replying, "Um... Well... Uh... I'm from..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Onoji was interrupted by a huge scream of satisfaction coming from the kitchen.

"EUREKA! It's perfect!"

The dark-haired girl came out of the kitchen with a delicious looking plate of spaghetti.

"There you go," she said, as she put the meal in front of the boy.

"Wow, Aiko!" he said. "It looks brilliant!"

Hayato sniffed. "This smell... It's so good! Can I have some?"

"Okey-dokey!" the girl replied. "There's some more left in the kitchen. What about you, Daichi?"

Even though I wasn't that hungry, there was no way I'd say no—the food looked too good to refuse.

"Yes, thank you," I said.

 _Wait..._ I thought. _What did she say?_

"Um... How do you know my name?" I asked.

"I overheard your conversation from the kitchen," she explained, fiddling with her ponytail. "Sorry!"

"The kitchen?" I asked.

"It's the room behind the door over there," she clarified. "It may look tiny, but I think it's big enough to cook comfortably. There's a fridge, an oven and a sink, obviously. Thankfully, there are also some cupboards with tons of ingredients that could satiate our needs for about-"

"A-Aiko," Onoji called her, interrupting our talk. "D-Do you have a moment?"

"Sure," she said. "What's the matter?"

"W-Well, you see..." Onoji stuttered, looking embarrassed. "H-How do you eat this?"

"WH-WHAT?" Hayato shouted. "There's no way this is your first time eating spaghetti!"

"A-Actually, it kind of is..." he admitted.

I was just as shocked as Hayato. How could he have gone his whole life without ever eating spaghetti?!

"Don't worry, Onoji," Aiko said. "I'll show you how to eat it."

Aiko helped Onoji learn to eat spaghetti. As she did it, I noticed the boy didn't even know how to use a fork properly.

"Thanks a lot, Aiko," Onoji thanked her. "I apologise for bothering you so much."

Aiko smiled and replied, "No problem! Everything is aaaaaaall right!"

As she spoke, she raised her right arm and then stretched it the furthest she could. She had a confident smile on her face while doing that.

 _Did she really have to do all that just to give him a thumbs up?_ I thought.

"You two appear to be pretty close," I said. "Do you know each other?"

"Not really," Aiko said. "It's just that Onoji was the first person I met here. So, we became friends!"

"Oh, so it's the same as us!" Hayato said. "We're best friends too, aren't we, Daichi?"

I smiled ironically, but Hayato didn't realise it.

"The lockers we were trapped in were in the same room," Onoji said.

Onoji then turned to the spaghetti. He let go off the fork a few times while wrapping the pasta around it, but he eventually got the hang of it.

"So..." Aiko said. "What do you think?"

"It's as delicious as I thought it would be," Onoji replied, as he cleaned some of the sauce that he had spilled on his shirt. "I'd never had thought that a meal as simple and rustic as spaghetti would taste this good!"

 _Simple?!_ I thought, surprised by how one could consider spaghetti a "simple" food.

"Yeah!" Hayato agreed. "It's perfect!"

"I'm really happy to hear that," Aiko said. "By the way, I don't think I've properly introduced myself yet, have I?"

"Oh, yes," I answered. "I'd forgotten about that. Are you perhaps the Ultimate Chef?"

"No, silly," she laughed. "Cooking is just part of what I do."

"What do you do, then?" Hayato asked.

"I'm the Ultimate Child Caregiver, Aiko Mamoru," she explained. "With a talent like that, you need to be good at a lot of different things."

**Aiko Mamoru - Ultimate Child Caregiver**

****

Hayato smiled. "Wow, that's such a nice talent!"

"Do you run an orphanage?" I asked.

"Yup!" Aiko replied.

"Aiko, you're so generous!" Onoji said. "I'd love to help others just like you do. Having a talent like that..."

"Yes!" Hayato agreed. "Once this project ends, I'll definitely help you with your orphanage!"

"Thanks a lot!" she replied.

We all laughed at the exchange. Aiko's uplifting mood seemed to make everyone happier.

"You're really inspiring, Aiko," I said.

"Do you think so?" she replied, with the same warm smile from before. "I wouldn't necessarily say that, but... Well, either way, I'm glad you think that!"

* * *

After finishing the delicious spaghetti the child caregiver had cooked, Hayato and I parted ways with Aiko and Onoji and decided to head outside.

Right next to the dining hall, there was a big lobby, with a pair of doors that led outside. The walls of that hall were purple, and the floor was black and white, almost like a chess board.

 _Whoever designed this entrance hall must be colourblind_ , I thought.

As soon as I grabbed the door handle of one of the doors, it was sprung right open, hitting me in my face. A boy had opened the door from outside. He didn't even look at me as he walked inside. He just kept walking without looking back.

"Asshole," I muttered, annoyed by his manners. "Let's go outside, Hayato."

Instead of following me outside, however, Hayato called the boy.

"Hey, you!" Hayato shouted. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but you hurt my friend."

"Oh, did I?" the boy replied. He wore a black T-shirt and dark blue jeans. He also had a green armband on his left arm.

"Yeah, you did," Hayato said naively. "And I think you should apologise to him, y'know. I'm sure you could become friends if you try!"

Hayato smiled innocently, but the boy didn't seem affected by his words.

"I don't plan on becoming friends with anyone," he stated, coldly. "You're bothering me. May I leave now?"

Hayato tried to calm him down. "H-Hey, you don't have to be so harsh. We're just trying to be friendly."

"You're the only one being friendly," he replied. "Your friend over there is not even trying."

Hayato looked at me. He made a weird gesture with his right hand, which I assumed was his way of telling me that I should be friendly towards that guy. I sure wasn't going to do that. Kaya and Itaki had definitely been a bother to deal with, but that guy seemed to be on another level.

"D-Daichi?" Hayato stuttered.

"Give us your name," I inquired. "He's Hayato Mizuki, the Ultimate Pacifist. I'm Daichi Abe, the Ultimate Animator."

The boy didn't answer.

"Give us your name," I insisted.

"Damn, you're really stubborn, aren't you?" he replied. "And stupid as well."

"What did you say?!" I shouted with anger.

"You shouldn't go around sharing personal information in a situation like this," he explained.

His remark made me even angrier, perhaps because, deep down, I knew that his logic made sense.

"B-But we told you our names and talents, didn't we?" Hayato said.

"Argh," he muttered. "I'm Katashi Akeru, satisfied? You're annoying me to no end. May I leave now?"

**Katashi Akeru - Ultimate ???**

****

"I suppose you're not telling us your talent, right?" I said.

"May I leave now?" he asked once again, but before we even answered, he had already left.

"Seriously, what an asshole..." I muttered.

"Don't say things like that, Daichi," Hayato said. "Everyone's good in their own way!"

"You're not going to survive very long with a mindset like that, Hayato," I replied.

Startled by my response, Hayato stepped back.

"S-Survive?" he asked. "Whatcha talking about?!"

"I have an idea as to what's happening in this building," I explained. "I've been thinking about it for a while. It's just a guess, though. I'll tell you later."

* * *


	6. Prologue: Our World of Chaos - Part V

Once Hayato and I stepped outside, we were greeted by sunlight. It truly was a beautiful day. We could see mountains on the horizon, beyond the giant wall that surrounded us.

"This is most definitely a school campus," I concluded. "It looks like there are more buildings besides this one. Let's see... There are the small structures to the right, that big and weirdly-shaped thing to the left and the rectangular building right in front of us."

"There's even an open area over there!" Hayato exclaimed, pointing to an open area which looked like a street park. "Look at those retro-looking benches! This place is awesome!"

After listening to Hayato talk endlessly about how rare those benches were, I asked him, "Hayato, do you feel something strange about this place?"

"Not really," he replied. "Do you?"

I thought about that for a brief moment. Did I? Besides those lockers in the classrooms, there was nothing explicitly weird about that campus. The huge wall could very easily just be a security measure. However, as I kept noticing strange small details and "coincidences", I started to worry more and more about our safety.

"No," I said. "Forget about it..."

What followed was an awkward silence between us. I had started to doubt my own thoughts. Heck, my own memories were blurry. I thought I was going crazy. And perhaps I really was...

"Let's check the rectangular building first," I said. Hayato nodded in agreement.

When we got closer to the building, we were able to read the sign in front of it: "dormitory".

"So this is where we are gonna be sleeping," Hayato said. "It looks modern."

There were, in total, fifteen bedrooms, with eight on the first floor and seven on the second. A spiral staircase connected the two. The steps were made of purple stained glass. I had to agree with Hayato _—_ the design was really modern. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't mind living there.

"Wow, Daichi!" Hayato called me to the second floor. "This is my room!"

He was right. The name "Hayato Mizuki" was written on a plate attached to the red metallic door that led to one of the rooms.

"It looks soundproof..." I said, examining the door. "And it's already unlocked..."

A metallic scanner was attached to the door, near the handle. For some reason, there was still a door lock underneath it.

 _Why would there be a scanner and a door lock?_ I wondered. _It seems a bit redundant._

"Aren't you scared that someone might enter your room while you're sleeping?" I asked.

"Nah," Hayato replied. "Why would I be? Everyone here is super friendly! Besides, I'm sure the staff is gonna give us the keys or whatever that scan is for, so we shouldn't worry about that."

Inside the room, there was a big bed with a thick black blanket. Next to it, there was a small glass table. A few wooden shelves were attached to the left wall. The walls themselves were painted light grey, and the floor was black. Thankfully, I could also see an air-conditioner. There was also a personal bathroom and a big wardrobe, which held clothing identical to what Hayato was wearing at the moment.

 _What kind of shut-in wears the same clothes every day?_ I thought. _There is not even a set of pyjamas here!_

"Aw, man..." Hayato sighed. He had just opened the bedroom window. "Since this room is on the second floor and all, I expected a nice view from here, but it's just a bunch of trees! I can't see anything!"

"Well, the architect who designed this must have been really dumb to build your window in front of those trees," I replied.

"Yeah..." he said, disappointed. "Well, at least it makes it easier to connect with nature, don't you think?"

"Kind of," I replied, absent-minded. "There's nothing else to explore here. Let's go check the other buildings."

"But you haven't even seen your own room yet!"

"I don't really care," I said, "and it's probably identical to yours anyway."

"I guess..."

* * *

And so, we left the dormitory and headed in the direction of the two small structures in the distance.

One of them was labelled "Incinerator Room", while the other was called "Laundry Room".

"A laundry room..." Hayato said. "That's pretty self-explanatory, but what'd be the purpose of an incinerator?"

"To burn our trash," I said. "What else did you think it was for?"

We entered the incinerator room and found ourselves in front of an incinerator. What a surprise.

"I can't believe we'll have to use this..." Hayato sighed. "Not only is it dangerous, but it also damages the environment! I'll sue whoever made us use this!"

"Sue?" I asked. "You do know that this is a government project, right? You're planning on suing the government?"

"Oh, yeah..." Hayato laughed. "I'd forgotten about that. But I still want to fight them!"

 _Sure..._ I thought.

Aside from the incinerator, the only thing of interest in that room was a sign with big red letters spelling the word "danger". It read:

_"DANGER. Be careful. Pressing the red button below will activate the incinerator."_

As expected, there was a big red button below it.

"A red button!" Hayato exclaimed. "Should we press it?!"

"No!" I shouted, grabbing his hand before he did anything dangerous. "Didn't you read the sign?!"

"...Sign?"

"The big sign with the word 'danger' in red letters!"

"I-I'm sorry, Daichi..." he apologised.

_...How stupid are you?!_

Hayato looked at me with tearful eyes.

"It's all right..." I sighed. "Just be more careful next time."

* * *

After that exchange, we entered the laundry room. There were many washing machines, obviously. There was a girl standing in front of one of them.

"Hey, you!" she called us. "Don't you also think this is outrageous!?"

She was wearing a long purple dress and a big pink fur scarf. Her blonde hair was long and straight.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"How dumb can you be!?" she groaned. "Is this some kind of prank?! First, they trap us inside a filthy locker! A goddamn locker, for fuck's sake! And now, there isn't a single staff member here! Not a single one!"

"Calm down..." Hayato said. "I'm sure everything will-"

"Think, dumbass!" she yelled. "We are supposed to be 'Ultimates', right? How come they leave us in the dark like that?! Thankfully, it looks like there's enough stuff to keep us alive for a while, but seriously... How come they forget about me of all people! This is unacceptable!"

 _There sure are a few egocentric people here,_ I thought.

"Don't be so rude," I said.

"Rude? Me!?" she asked. "Don't you know who I am!?"

"No," I simply responded. "And I certainly wouldn't want to."

By that point, I was already fed up with having to deal with people like her.

"You insect!" she shouted. "How come you don't know Jasmine Unhook, the Ultimate Fashionista?!"

**Jasmine Unhook - Ultimate Fashionista**

****

"I really don't care," I said.

"H-Hey, Daichi," Hayato said. "Don't be so harsh..."

Jasmine turned her back to us. "Hmph!"

Suddenly, Hayato stomped on my right foot.

_What was that for?!_

"Argh!" I replied. "All right... Look, I'm sorry for my behaviour, Jasmine... or whatever."

Those words came out of my mouth almost like a mutter, but Jasmine didn't seem to mind it.

"At least you seem a little more well-mannered than the others," Jasmine said. "I'm sorry, too. There you have it."

"Thank you, Jasmine," I replied. "My name's Daichi Abe, the Ultimate Animator. He's Hayato Mizuki, the Ultimate Pacifist."

"I see..." She glared at us, not paying any attention to what I had said. "Cool."

"Uh... Goodbye, then!" Hayato said awkwardly, as we left her alone in the laundry room. We ran out of there as soon as we could.

 _She should probably try to contain her ego a little bit more..._ I thought.

* * *

Our next stop was the weirdly-shaped structure. Observing it more closely, it resembled a church. Before we reached it, Hayato said, "You shouldn't be rude to anyone who is disrespectful to you. That is only going to make the situation worse."

"Thanks for the advice, Hayato," I replied, "but this is just who I am."

"Well, people do change, right?" he said. "Maybe you could try it. You don't have to remain like that."

 _What if I don't want to?_ I thought, annoyed.

After some more walking, we got close enough to the structure to find out what it actually was.

"A temple, huh?" I said, reading the sign in front of it.

Before going inside, I looked upwards, and noticed the sun was setting.

_If we really are in the Andean Mountains, then... I suppose it's around 6.30 pm? Or maybe closer to 7 pm? I don't really know..._

Inside the temple, there were beautiful glass portraits on the walls, a giant chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and a big stone statue in the centre, probably over three metres tall. It portrayed a man holding a large stone container.

"Wow, I wouldn't expect finding a renaissance-style sculpture here," I said, astonished. "It's really impressive."

"I wonder what could be inside that pot..." Hayato said, intrigued. He was referring to the large stone container the statue was holding.

"It's probably empty," I replied.

_What a random thing to wonder about..._

The ceiling was really high. Unlike the rest of the campus, which looked really modern, that temple was the very definition of old. Nevertheless, it was extremely well-preserved.

 _The atmosphere here is nice,_ I thought. _I like it... Huh? Who's that?_

It was at that moment, as I was examining our location, that I noticed we weren't the only ones there. A black-haired girl in a red dress was staring at us from the corner of the temple. She was wearing a white ribbon bow on her hair. Looking at her hands, I realised she was holding a tablet of some sort. Once she noticed me looking at her, she began typing at lightning speed.

"Uh, hello?" I awkwardly called her. "I'm sorry I didn't see you there before."

"Oh!" Hayato shouted, noticing the girl's presence. "Hey, there! You sure have great stealth skills."

The girl didn't respond. She just kept typing on her tablet.

"I'm Daichi Abe, the Ultimate Animator," I said.

"And I'm Hayato Mizuki, the Ultimate Pacifist," Hayato said. "What about you?"

The girl didn't even look at him. It was as if her eyes were glued to the screen of her device.

"Hayato," I whispered, "I think she might be deaf."

"Do you think so?" Hayato said. "That's a shame. I'm so sorry for her..."

The girl, however, approached us and showed something on her tablet. It was a sentence that read: _"I'm not deaf "_.

"Oh, so you can hear us," I said. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

The girl typed something and then showed us: _"T_ _alking is too tiring."_

"I see..." Hayato mumbled. "Well, so what's your name?"

The girl typed: " _My name is Touka Ichikawa. I am the Ultimate Gambler. It's nice to meet you."_

**Touka Ichikawa - Ultimate Gambler**

****

Right after that, she started making notes on her tablet again.

"Where did you find this?" I asked, pointing to the object in her hands.

 _"In the warehouse,"_ she typed.

"We really need to explore the warehouse further, Daichi!" Hayato exclaimed.

"I know that..." I replied. "Uh... Touka, was it? What are you typing so eagerly anyway?"

She started typing even more quickly after I'd said that.

"H-Hey, are you all right?" I asked, approaching her.

I was able to read a few lines of what she was typing:

_"Daichi Abe: perceptive; well-mannered; somewhat stubborn; not-so-great social skills; loyal towards friends; good listener; rude to people he doesn't like; bad at lying; unresolved problem..."_

The list kept going on and on, with no end in sight.

"Wh-What is this!?" I shouted.

"I'm making notes about you," Touka said, finally opening her mouth.

"Th-That's not something a normal person would do!" Hayato exclaimed.

"Nobody said I was normal," she replied, going back to typing.

I was thrown for a loop. I closed my eyes, in an attempt to think more clearly. Why was she making notes about us? And more importantly: how did she know about _that_?

I opened my eyes again so that I could question her further, but she was already gone.

"Where did she go?" I asked, turning towards Hayato.

"She ran away," he replied. "Seriously, that girl has the skills of a ninja!"

 _What's her deal?_ I wondered. _I should talk to her as soon as I can..._

"Either way," I sighed, "that was everyone, right? Sixteen people. I think we should-"

I was interrupted by a strangely familiar voice that echoed in the temple.

_"1... 2... 3... Hello? Is it working? Mic check! Mic check! Can you hear me? Can you hear me, my friends?"_

That childish voice... I had definitely heard it before. But where?

_"Ahem! Ahem! This is a test of the school's broadcast system. There are speakers everywhere in the school, though they are very cleverly hidden. I suppose you can hear me, right everyone? Riiiiiiiight?_

"Wh-What is this..." Hayato stuttered.

I was paralysed by fear. That announcement... I had heard something similar before. Could it be... that my suspicions were correct all along?

_"Good! I think it's working perfectly! Now, everyone, please gather in the gym! It's about time for our game to start! Upupupupu..."_

"WH-WHAT WAS THAT?!" Hayato screamed.

"That..." I said.

Hayato looked at me, worried. "D-Daichi, d-do you have an i-idea-"

"It was Masuta."

_Back when I met that guy..._

* * *

_"So, Masuta, was it?" I said. "What do you do as the 'Ultimate Game Master'? Do you run RPGs or stuff like that?"_

_"Nope!" he answered, always with a huge smile. "I'm preparing a special game! A very special game, indeed! I hope you look forward to it!"_

_"G-Game?" I stuttered. "What are you even saying? If this is really the Ultimate Project, we shouldn't be playing games!"_

_"Well, well, I suppose you'd be right... but is this really the actual Ultimate Project? Upupupupu..."_

_"What are you implying?" I asked. "Are you saying that everything that's been going on wasn't planned?"_

_"Of course it was planned, my friend!" Masuta said cheerfully. "Either way, don't linger on this matter any longer! You're gonna have the answers you seek eventually!"_

* * *

Yes, it was definitely him. I knew I had heard that voice somewhere before. How could I have forgotten someone as... eccentric as Masuta? The Ultimate Game Master... All of the pieces were falling into place.

_That guy... Yeah, he's in the role of the bear, isn't he? I knew he seemed somewhat familiar! But... What does that video game have to do with all of this? It's way too similar to our situation to be a mere coincidence..._

"M-Masuta?" Hayato said, even more confused. "Wh-Why is Masuta doing this? What is this 'game' he's talking about?"

"It's most likely... a killing game."

"A... WH-WHAT!?"

"I'll explain later. Let's go to the gym. Quickly!"

* * *


	7. Character Summary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHARACTER ART DONE -- 8/16

**Daichi Abe - Ultimate Animator**

****

**Height:** 172cm  
 **Weight:** 53kg  
 **D.O.B:** March 15th  
 **Blood type:** O-  
 **Likes:** Tea, intriguing stories  
 **Dislikes:** Clowns, penguins

* * *

**Hayato Mizuki - Ultimate Pacifist**

****

**Height:** 156cm  
 **Weight:** 49kg  
 **D.O.B:** January 1st  
 **Blood type:** A-  
 **Likes:** Birds, coffee  
 **Dislikes:** Soda

* * *

**Yoko Nakou - Ultimate Lucky** **Student**

****

**Height:** 168cm  
 **Weight:** 53kg  
 **D.O.B:** February 2nd  
 **Blood type:** AB+  
 **Likes:** Mineral water, love letters  
 **Dislikes:** Supernatural phenomena

* * *

**Niko Tatsuya - Ultimate Blogger**

****

**Height:** 145cm  
 **Weight:** 45kg  
 **D.O.B:** May 17th  
 **Blood type:** A-  
 **Likes:** Monster-collecting video games  
 **Dislikes:** Food critics

* * *

  
**Chihiro Toga - Ultimate Programmer**

****

**Height:** 153cm  
 **Weight:** 43kg  
 **D.O.B:** March 14th  
 **Blood type:** A+  
 **Likes:** Rabbits, computers  
 **Dislikes:** Cars

* * *

**Kaya Suzuya - Ultimate Mad Scientist**

****

**Height** **:** 158cm  
 **Weight:** 47kg  
 **D.O.B:** November 15th  
 **Blood type:** AB+  
 **Likes:** Candy, Erlenmeyer flasks  
 **Dislikes:** Middle schoolers

* * *

**Itaki Shimamoto - Ultimate Businessman**

****

**Height:** 172cm  
 **Weight:** 56kg  
 **D.O.B:** October 13th  
 **Blood type:** O+  
 **Likes:** Money  
 **Dislikes:** Lazy employees

* * *

**Masuta Kikai - Ultimate Game Master**

****

**Height:** 180cm  
 **Weight:** 72kg  
 **D.O.B** : September 12th  
 **Blood type:** ??? (He does not know)  
 **Likes:** Washing machines, board games  
 **Dislikes:** Cheaters

* * *

**Saeka Takamoto - Ultimate Bookworm**

****

**Height** **:** 162cm  
 **Weight:** 52kg  
 **D.O.B:** May 1st  
 **Blood type:** A-  
 **Likes:** Silence, novels  
 **Dislikes:** Physical activities

* * *

**Amaya Chinen - Ultimate Detective**

****

**Height:** 165cm  
 **Weight:** 50kg  
 **D.O.B:** March 22nd  
 **Blood type:** O-  
 **Likes:** Costumes, baguettes  
 **Dislikes:** Mainstream media

* * *

**Denki Kabayashi - Ultimate Bodyguard**

****

**Height:** 188cm  
 **Weight:** 94kg  
 **D.O.B:** June 8th  
 **Blood type:** B-  
 **Likes:** Helmets, tulips  
 **Dislikes:** Bats

* * *

**Onoji Deminnerv - Ultimate ???**

****

**Height:** 155cm  
 **Weight:** 44kg  
 **D.O.B:** April 12th  
 **Blood type:** AB-  
 **Likes:** Hamburgers, tissues  
 **Dislikes:** Guns

* * *

**Aiko Mamoru - Ultimate Child Caregiver**

****

**Height:** 169cm  
 **Weight:** 55kg  
 **D.O.B:** October 5th  
 **Blood type:** A+  
 **Likes:** Toys, children  
 **Dislikes:** Corn

* * *

**Katashi Akeru - Ultimate ???**

****

**Height:** 179cm  
 **Weight:** 62kg  
 **D.O.B:** Febuary 13th  
 **Blood type:** B+  
 **Likes:** Oranges  
 **Dislikes:** Crowds

* * *

**Jasmine Unhook - Ultimate Fashionista**

****

**Height:** 170cm  
 **Weight:** 53kg  
 **D.O.B:** August 22nd  
 **Blood type:** O+  
 **Likes:** Clothes, tulips  
 **Dislikes:** Bugs

* * *

**Touka Ichikawa - Ultimate Gambler**

****

**Height:** 166cm  
 **Weight:** 51kg  
 **D.O.B:** April 29th  
 **Blood type:** B+  
 **Likes:** Tablets  
 **Dislikes:** Doctors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! This is a summary with more detailed information about each character. I know it's a lot of names and talents to remember, so I decided to put them all in one chapter to make it somewhat easier.
> 
> EDIT (02/12/2020): Amaya's full name was changed to "Amaya Chinen"


	8. Prologue: Our World of Chaos - Part VI

Hayato and I hurried to the gym. With the exception of Masuta, everyone else was already there. Most of them had a somewhat concerned look on their faces.

"Daichi! Hayato!" Yoko called us. "Oh, I'm glad you are safe!"

"Y-Yes," Denki stuttered. "This place is dangerous."

"Don't be such a crybaby, Denki," Jasmine muttered. "I've seen worse."

Katashi and Touka were alone, each standing in a different corner of the gym.

"It looks like not everyone is eager to talk," Onoji said.

"Don't worry, Onoji," Aiko replied. "I'm sure they'll eventually join us!"

"Wahahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "Let them be! They just can't come to terms with the fact that a superior being like me is here!"

Despite a few attempts to break it, a dreadful atmosphere still persisted.

"I-I have a bad feeling about this," Niko said. "I think I know where this is going... And it's not pretty."

"M-Me too..." Chihiro added.

 _This is bad..._ I thought. _Really bad..._

"Hey, you!" Jasmine groaned. "You over there! Miss detective!"

Amaya, who had been silent up until that point, raised her head. "What is it?"

"Aren't you the Ultimate _Detective_!?" Jasmine shouted. "How come you haven't found an escape route yet?! Come up with something! Anything! That's your fucking job, isn't it?! I can't stay in this hellhole for much longer!"

"Calm down, everyone," Itaki interrupted. "You all must become friends. For the sake of-"

"Don't order me around, you cocky piece of shit!" Jasmine yelled, turning towards Itaki, as if she was going to punch him.

_Damn..._

"Wow, she's pissed!" Hayato whispered to me.

Jasmine's anger definitely wasn't making the situation any better. On the contrary—it only filled us with even more fear.

"Y-You don't have to be so aggressive..." Denki said, approaching her.

"You shut up, too!" Jasmine shouted. "Anyway, Amaya, was it? Just do something! Call the police!"

"I think..." Amaya replied, lost in her thoughts. "There's nothing we can do right now... Probably."

The atmosphere in that gymnasium was becoming more hostile by the minute.

"...What did you say?" I asked.

"There's something really suspicious going on here," Amaya said. "We shouldn't do anything rash. For now, let's just wait and see what happens, okay?"

"I-If that's the safer option..." Denki mumbled.

My eyes were fixed on the stage in the back of the gym. In the centre of said stage, there was a small podium with a microphone. The scene was set. It was only a matter of time before _it_ began.

"Everyone," Yoko said, "um... isn't there... someone missing?"

"Oh, yes," Onoji agreed. "There are only fifteen people here. Does anyone know who-"

"It's Masuta," Saeka said before he could finish his sentence. "He is not here."

"Yes, Saeka is right," I agreed. "The voice from earlier... It was most definitely his."

 _There's no mistaking it..._ I thought.

"W-Wait... That voice was Masuta's?!" Niko shouted.

"What is it, Niko?" Hayato asked. "Did you think the voice from the announcement belonged to someone else?"

"I thought that voice belonged to... _Monokuma_!" Niko exclaimed.

Nobody seemed to understand what Niko had said. However, I did. The way Masuta talked... It was similar to how _the bear_ talked.

"M-Monokuma?" Hayato asked. "Whazzat?"

"That announcement..." I said. "No... Not just the announcement. Everything that's been happening to us. It's too similar to _that game_ to just be a mere coincidence."

"Game?" Amaya asked. "What's this game you're referring to?"

The voice from the announcement suddenly reappeared, almost like a ghost. It came from the stage in the back of the gym.

"It's _Danganronpa_!" the voice shouted, answering Amaya's question.

At that moment, Masuta jumped out from behind the podium in the centre of the stage. His movements were swift, yet precise.

"M-M-Masuta, is that you!?" Denki exclaimed.

"What's even happening?!" Aiko cried. "Wh-What are you doing, Masuta?!"

"Hello there, my friends!" Masuta greeted us, ignoring their questions. "It's me! Masuta Kikai! Did you miss me? Well, either way, I welcome you to _my_ kingdom! How're you feeling? It's been a while! Well... I don't know if anyone would consider a handful of hours that long a time, but... Ah! It doesn't matter! Forget about it! Let's celebrate!"

Masuta had definitely left a weird first impression on me. Something about him had been concerning me ever since we first met. Nevertheless, he was... way more "out-there" than what I'd originally expected.

"Masuta?" Onoji asked, pale. "Wh-What are you talking about?"

"Hurry up," Saeka inquired, with a serious look on her face. "Tell us."

"Hey! Hey!" Masuta cried. "There's no need to be so angry! I'm here to announce the beginning of the special game I've been preparing for you! You should be excited!"

"I'm not here to play any games, you sick bastard!" Jasmine shouted.

Jasmine leapt onto the stage, approaching Masuta. She was ready to fight him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, darling," Masuta said. That comment only made Jasmine angrier.

"I'll sue!" she yelled. "Go to hell, you psycho!"

"Jasmine, stop!" Chihiro alerted her. "We don't know what he's capable of!"

However, that wasn't enough to stop Jasmine. She ran towards Masuta at full speed.

"Sh-She's right!" Masuta said. "P-Please don't do anything you'll regret in the future!"

Just as Masuta was saying that, two machine guns appeared from the ceiling. They turned around, pointing at Jasmine. She froze in place, her eyes widened.

 _...What?_ I couldn't even process what was happening. It was all too sudden.

"G-Guns!" Aiko shouted.

"AAAAAAHHH!" Denki cried.

"WH-WHY?!" Hayato screamed. "H-H-HOW?!"

"Upupupu!" Masuta's wry smile grew wider. At that moment, the monocle he wore on his left eye glowed crimson red. Blood red.

"Violence against the Game Master is strictly prohibited!" Masuta declared, grinning.

Jasmine stepped backwards, almost falling from the stage.

"Wh-What...?" she gasped.

"Those are d-definitely not fake!" Onoji exclaimed. "Th-This is not good..."

Aiko held Onoji's hand tightly.

"Those guns will activate if you break the rules," Masuta explained. "Mark my words! If someone doesn't obey the rules, there _will_ be punishment!"

"Rules?!" Kaya shouted. "I, the great Kaya Suzuya, shall not obey any rules!"

"Ignore Kaya," Saeka sighed, turning towards Masuta. "She's just a bother..."

"How can you just accept this?!" Jasmine shouted, pointing at Saeka. "I agree with the crazy science bitch! We oughta get out of here! We shouldn't let him boss us around!"

 _She is right about that..._ I thought.

"I have _not_ accepted this," Saeka replied calmly. "It is simply better to understand the situation fully before doing anything else. Reckless behaviour is useless. And yes, that includes punching him in the face. Now, will you calm down, or will you try to get yourself killed again?"

Jasmine opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She didn't appear to have a reply.

"Masuta, I can't believe that's your true self..." Yoko said in a somewhat sad tone. "I thought you were a good person..."

"H-How can you say such mean things?!" Masuta cried. "I _am_ a good person! You all are so unfriendly, geez! And I went through all that trouble to prepare this just for you..."

"Can't you just let us out of here already?" Kaya said. "I, the great Kaya Suzuya, have more important things to do! And by that, I mean SCIENCE! WAHAHAHA!"

Masuta giggled. "Who said I'd let you out? I never said I would, right?"

The gym went silent for a moment, as we all processed the information Masuta had given us. 

"...Wait," Onoji stuttered. "We are... t-trapped here...?"

"Of course not, Onoji!" Aiko replied. "You're clearly overthinking this. There's no way Masuta is planning to trap us here forever!"

"I totally am!" Masuta replied happily. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you guys! Isn't that incredible?"

Aiko flinched. "Wait... what did you say?"

"B-But the f-food..." Niko stuttered.

"Don't worry about the food!" Masuta said. "I have already taken care of that! Did you not check the kitchen?"

"Th-The p-police..." Denki said. "Th-They'll arrive... Eventually..."

"Nope! They definitely won't!" Masuta replied. "Take my word for it! Don't get your hopes up thinking the police will come to rescue you."

 _...How can he be so sure about that?_ I wondered.

"I-I can't believe this...!" Hayato said. "I c-can't be trapped here!"

"Why do you look so troubled, Mizuki-kun~?" Masuta asked. "I promise the life on this campus is much better than your previous one!"

Hayato didn't respond.

"Is there really no way out?" Yoko asked. "There should be at least one... Right?"

"Well, I suppose there _is_ one..." Masuta replied.

 _It can't be..._ I thought.

"Why didn't you say so earlier, dammit?!" Jasmine yelled. "Hurry up! You're wasting my time! I'll take whatever exit that is!"

"Ahem!" Masuta cleared his throat.

Everyone went silent. Perhaps we did so out of fear, or maybe because we clung onto the hope that there really was a way out of that mess.

"Great!" Masuta exclaimed, clapping his hands. "Now that I have everyone's attention, I can show you the official rules of our own cutesy little Killing Game!"

As soon as Masuta declared those words, I felt my heart skip a beat.

"K-KILLING GAME?!" Hayato screamed.

"N-No way!" Niko shouted. "D-Danganronpa is just a video game, isn't it?!"

"You don't just say the words 'cutesy little' before 'killing game'!" Amaya said.

"Oh, c'mon..." Masuta sighed. "An antithesis mixed in with a bit of irony is great for comedic effect!"

Kaya laughed. "Wahahahaha! I-It sure is!"

"D-Don't agree with what he's saying!" Hayato said.

"Wahahaha!" Kaya continued, dismissing Hayato's interjection. "Haha... Ha..."

Even Kaya's laugh demonstrated fear. Masuta wasn't joking around.

"So, what's this killing game, anyway?" Amaya asked. "I suppose it involves... well, killing."

"I-It doesn't sound very safe..." Denki stuttered.

"I'd already have explained it by now if you hadn't kept interrupting me!" Masuta shouted. "But I forgive you! I want to be friends with everyone here, and I assume all of you want to be friends with me as well!"

"No," Saeka replied coldly. "You are... too loud."

 _I don't think anyone would want to befriend that guy, even if he was a little quieter..._ I thought.

"Go on," I said, looking at Masuta. "Finish your explanation."

"Upupupupu!" Masuta giggled. "I'm so happy that everyone is so excited to learn about our game!"

"No..." Onoji sighed. "W-We are not..."

"Okay!" he continued, ignoring Onoji. "I shall explain the basic rules of the game. But first, I'll give you all your own e-Handbook!"

Masuta walked off the stage and gave a tablet-like device to each one of us. He then proceeded to give us a lengthy explanation about its features.

"Your e-Handbook is the key to unlocking your rooms, so don't lose it! Just use the scanner attached to the door and _bam_! It's unlocked! By the way, your rooms are soundproof for the most part, just so you know. Anyway, the e-Handbook also contains everyone's personal information, such as name, height, weight, likes, dislikes... Use it wisely! Oh, and don't forget to give your friends a present they'd like on their birthdays! Hooray! In addition to that, it has a map of the campus and the set of rules that I'll be talking about now. Be sure to follow along~!"

I tapped the screen with my finger, instantly turning the e-Handbook on. The name "Daichi Abe" appeared on the screen. On the top right corner, I could see the current time—8.15 pm. There were four tabs displayed: "rules", "friends", "maps" and "evidence". I clicked on the "rules" tab and, just as Masuta had said, a list flashed before my eyes.

"Ahem!" he cleared his throat. "The rules are the following..."

**1\. Participants may not leave the campus. Don't even try. It is humanly impossible to escape.**

**2\. The period known as "night-time" is from 10 pm to 7 am. During this period, some areas will be off-limits. Please act cautiously.**

**3\. During night-time, participants cannot sleep anywhere besides a room in the dormitory. Those who break this rule will be punished.**

**4\. Participants are free to explore and investigate the campus with almost no restrictions.**

**5\. Violence against the Game Master is strictly prohibited. Those who break this rule will be punished.**

**6\. Destruction of campus property is strictly prohibited. Those who break this rule will be punished.**

**7\. The Game Master** **cannot cause any direct harm to a living participant.**

"Wasn't there supposed to be a way to escape?" Yoko interrupted Masuta's explanation. "I don't see anything..."

"Keep reading," Saeka whispered to her.

"Huh?" Yoko mumbled.

"Yoko..." Chihiro said. "You haven't finished reading the rules, have you?"

"N-No..." Yoko replied. "Why...?"

**8\. Anyone who murders a fellow participant becomes the "blackened".** **They will be forced to leave the campus forever, unless they are discovered by the "spotless", aka. the rest of the group.**

**9\. The maximum number of victims is two per blackened. Those who break this rule will be punished, so be sure to murder consciously.**

**10\. A "Body Discovery Announcement" will play once three people find the dead body.**

**11\. Once a murder takes place, a class trial will begin shortly thereafter.** **All participants capable of going to the trial grounds must participate.**

**12\. If the identity of the blackened is exposed during the trial, they alone will be punished.**

**13\. If the innocent participants, the spotless, aren't able to find the blackened's true identity, they will be the ones receiving punishment, and the blackened gets to leave the campus, as stated by rule number 8.**

**14\. Additional rules may be added if necessary.** ********

About half of the rules were murder-related. That really was the killing game. I did already know that, however. The clues were obvious.

About three years prior to arriving at that campus, I'd come across a game series called _Danganronpa_. In each entry, a group of sixteen talented high-school students was trapped in an isolated location and forced to play a game similar to ours. Too similar, in fact.

"Now this is interesting..." Saeka said, almost inaudible.

"M-M-MURDER?!" Denki shouted.

"Yes!" Masuta exclaimed. "Hitting, stabbing, shooting, burning, drowning, poisoning, pushing down the stairs, suffocating, freezing, electrocuting... Everything is allowed!"

"I-I-I'd never...!" Hayato cried

"This... might hurt the sales potential on this campus..." Itaki mumbled.

"KIYAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Niko screamed.

Chaos had consumed us.

"You may also notice that the 'evidence' tab on your e-Handbooks is currently unavailable," Masuta said. "Just forget about it for now... okay?"

"Who cares about this stupid tablet?!" Jasmine yelled, sweat covering her face. "You... You psychopath! Let us out of here! NOW!"

"You should definitely work on that attitude, my friend," Masuta replied in an irritated voice. "Seriously! Can't you all just enjoy the game I've prepared?!"

Masuta glared at Jasmine while pointing towards the machine gun on the ceiling.

"Eeeeeeek!" Jasmine shrieked, hiding behind Denki. Her overconfident face had become full of cowardliness.

"S-So this is... the real deal," Chihiro said.

"I cannot even begin to comprehend this..." Onoji sighed.

"I-Is there really no other way out?" Denki asked.

"Nope!" Masuta answered. "Haven't you read rule number 1?"

Jasmine stepped forward. "I... I refuse to follow these shitty rules!"

"What's keeping us from breaking the rules, anyway?" Amaya asked. "I mean, there are those machine guns... But we can hide from them if we are smart enough."

"Looks like we have ourselves a troublemaker!" Masuta replied. "Don't even think about breaking the rules! If that happens... There _will_ be punishment! No matter what! Even if the guns don't get you! I am more than capable of taking care of you myself, you know..."

"This 'punishment'... It is execution, correct?" Saeka asked. "You may say it out loud. There is no need in hiding it. We all know it by now."

"What?!" Hayato gasped. "E-Execution!? That's even worse than death, right?!"

"Upupupupu!" Masuta giggled. "But of course! The punishment is death! Otherwise, this game wouldn't be nearly as thrilling!"

"I wanna go to the bathroom..." Niko said, seemingly trying to hold her vomit.

"Besides," Masuta continued, "don't you think execution is the best way to deal with criminals? If they disrupt our peaceful life, wouldn't it be better if they just... died?"

"This is..." Amaya mumbled. "...Probably illegal... No... It _is_ illegal. And that makes _you_ a criminal as well."

"Ha!" Masuta laughed. "Does it really matter if it's illegal? You're in my world now! The rules of the outside world do not apply here! Ah! The thrills! The chills! The kills! I'm so excited! Enjoy your life while you still can, my friends! This is going to be so much fun! Now, farewell! See you tomorrow! Upupupupu..."

Masuta swiftly ran past us and exited the gym. We remained in silence for a few seconds, frozen in place. The situation we had found ourselves in seemed... unreal.

"Wh-Why!?" I muttered. "Why would anyone do this?!"

"H-Hey guys, c-calm down!" Yoko declared. "I need your attention!"

"What is it?" Amaya asked.

All eyes in the gym were focused on Yoko.

"There's no reason to worry!" she said. "After all, we're still friends, right?"

"Yeah!" Aiko agreed. "No one here is a murderer. Everything is aaaaaall right!"

"Wahahaha!" Kaya shouted. "Not a single person in this planet would have the courage to murder me, the great Kaya Suzuya!"

As they said that, a quiet laugh could be heard from the corner of the room. Gradually, it became louder and louder.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Katashi?" Amaya called the owner of the voice. "That's your name, right? ...What's so funny?"

Katashi grinned. "You all are so goddamn hilarious! Do you _really_ think everyone here is a good human being?"

"W-Well, yes..." Yoko replied. "Th-That's because-"

"Fool," Katashi said, turning back to his serious self. "I bet most of you are creating your own murder schemes right now."

"H-How can you say that?!" Yoko shouted.

"For instance, the black-haired girl over there..." Katashi pointed at Touka. She had been silently typing on her tablet over the course of Masuta's speech. "Or maybe that tough-looking guy..."

"A-A-Are you referring to me?" Denki stuttered.

"Perhaps even the impulsive blonde behind you..."

"What did you say, you asshole?!" Jasmine yelled.

"My point is... You guys are being naive," Katashi said. "Just look around. Would you really call these people trustworthy 'friends'? You barely even know each other. How can you be so sure that the person beside you won't try to kill you?"

Surely, I looked around. Everyone was doing the same. Katashi was right. Who could I trust besides myself?

 _...Is it all right to think that?_ I wondered. _Who should I trust...?_

"Anyway, I'm out," Katashi declared, walking towards the gym exit. "Let's see how long it'll take for someone to finally bite the dust."

We kept staring at each other for a while. No one dared to move a single muscle.

"I-I think I'm going to my room..." Chihiro broke the silence.

"Yeah, me too..." Onoji said.

"W-Wait, Onoji!" Aiko exclaimed, grabbing his hand.

The three of them left the gym.

"Let's go, Denki," Jasmine said, also walking towards the exit.

Denki sighed. "All right..."

"I-I'll be going too," Niko said.

Saeka had already left, quiet as usual.

 _Everyone is leaving..._ I thought.

"Th-This is unacceptable!" Kaya declared. "Who would leave the great Kaya Suzuya behind!? G-Guys!? Don't leave me alone!"

"I'll make sure to find a new marketplace," Itaki mumbled as he was leaving the gym, "in case this one is rendered unprofitable. One can't get money off corpses... right? Wait... Actually..."

"I... I have to think about this," Amaya said. "Goodbye."

Touka followed them to the dormitory. Even as she was exiting the gym, she didn't stop typing. The only ones left in the gym were Hayato, Yoko and me.

"E-Everyone..." Yoko sighed.

"Yoko?" I called her.

She started crying, but looked at me with a smile.

"What is it, Daichi?" she asked.

Hayato bit his lip and looked away. "Tch."

"Are you all right?" I said, despite seeing her clearly troubled expression.

Yoko brushed the tears off her face. "Yes, yes... I am... fine..."

"I'm glad," Hayato said. "This is too much for me to handle as well..."

Yoko was staring at the nothingness of the gymnasium. Judging by the conversation we had had earlier that day, she had been thinking she was already friends with everyone.

Masuta... had shattered that feeling.

That feeling of... _peace._

_..._

_..._

_...Why?_

_...Why did this have to happen to us?_

Interrupting my thoughts, Yoko approached us. "You two... We can't give up hope in a situation like this. Don't let Masuta's little game get into your head. We'll make it through this in one piece, I promise."

"Hope, huh..." I mumbled.

I had heard a similar speech somewhere before. Come to think of it, Yoko also reminded me of one of the characters from that game... _Danganronpa_. 

_This is not a game,_ I thought. _The rules of Danganronpa do not apply here. I just hope everyone will be all right..._

And thus, we headed to the dormitory. We didn't bump into anyone on the way there.

"Goodnight," Yoko said, as she entered her room.

* * *

I went upstairs with Hayato. Both of our rooms were on the second floor.

"Hey, Daichi," Hayato said. "Do you remember that promise you made?"

"What promise?" I asked.

"You said we could chat later, didn't you?" he replied.

"About peace, you mean?"

"Yeah."

I wanted to tell Hayato that wasn't the appropriate moment, but... I couldn't.

Hayato opened the door to his room. "Come inside."

I sat down on a chair, while he lay on his bed. He still kept a smile on his face, albeit a slightly sombre one.

"You see," Hayato said, "this isn't the first time I've been in a situation like this."

"W-WAIT!" I interrupted. "Are you saying that you've participated in another killing game?!"

"N-No, no!" he giggled. "It's nothing like that."

 _Masuta did say this was the first killing game in real life..._ I thought. _Hayato must be telling the truth._

"O-Okay," I said. "I promise I won't interrupt you again. Please, go on."

Hayato looked through his window. His smile was still there, never ceasing to exist. Just how much could that smile handle this? For how long would Hayato be able to smile like that?

"Well..." Hayato began. "I might as well start with the fact that I'm not from this country. I come from a really small kingdom you've probably never even heard of. However, the war that'll be taking place there is no small ordeal. It might have globe-threatening consequences. So far, it's only been small localised conflicts that the media doesn't even bother mentioning. Don't get me wrong, a lot of people have died, but the local government is good at covering it up. However... Soon, it will become something much, much larger. Unfortunately, seemingly no one outside of my country is aware of it... And that's why I'm here. My country has a close relationship with Japan, you see? There's some... business I have to attend here."

Although Hayato smiled while he spoke, it was clear to me that he was struggling to keep it.

 _The topic must mean a lot to him..._ I thought.

"And that's how you became the Ultimate Pacifist?" I asked.

"Yes," Hayato replied. "I came here to end this war... in the most peaceful way possible."

The way Hayato talked about it made this war sound like something extremely serious. If so, why had I never heard about it? I'd never read about such a large conflict in the newspaper. I had never found anything similar on the internet, either.

 _This sounds fishy,_ I thought. _What's the deal with the war Hayato mentioned?_

"It's a shame we're trapped here..." I sighed. "We might not even be in Japan anymore, remember? Your business will have to wait..."

"Not really," Hayato replied, catching me off guard. "The peace we'll achieve if we leave this place... It'll be greater than the one we had before. Once we leave here, it means that Masuta will be out of the picture. That'll surely make for a better world, right? After all, there's no such thing as peace without chaos... don't you think so?"

I didn't know what to say to Hayato at that point.

"Hahaha!" he laughed. "I might've brought the mood down a bit! Sorry for that, Daichi! But don't feel sad, all right? We'll have a really long day tomorrow!"

Right after Hayato said that, Masuta's voice echoed. Apparently, even inside our rooms, there were hidden speakers.

_*Ding dong! Dong ding!*_

_"Attention! It's now officially night-time! Some campus facilities will be off-limits, so please be cautious! Those facilities include: the warehouse, the laundry room, the incinerator room and the gymnasium. Sleep well, my friends!"_

"Wow, it's late!" Hayato shouted.

"I suppose so... Anyway, it was great talking to you," I said, standing up.

"I should be the one saying thank you!" he replied. "So... Thank you, Daichi! See you tomorrow!"

"Yeah... See you tomorrow, Hayato."

* * *

I went to my room. Just as I had imagined, it was almost identical to Hayato's. The only difference was the view from the window: a giant stone wall. The only thing I could see from my window was the wall surrounding us.

"Everyone..." I mumbled.

I tried my hardest to come up with some inspirational speech like the ones you'd see in a work of fiction. However, I couldn't do it. I was completely and utterly useless. Despite how much I wanted to do it, I couldn't stand up to Masuta like some others did.

I remembered Hayato's and Yoko's words. They were way more suited for being an Ultimate than me. I felt as if I didn't have control over my life. I wasn't the main character of my own story.

"Masuta..." I muttered.

_...Huh?_

For some unknown reason, at that moment, I heard a fleeting voice—or rather, I remembered it. A voice from the past. It wasn't very clear, but still sounded really familiar.

_"Daichi... May the hands of fate bring you happiness. I leave you to them."_

I couldn't remember whose voice it was. Nevertheless, I still felt somewhat comforted by it. For that single moment, I forgot about the situation I had been thrown into.

 _I'm going crazy..._ I thought, dismissing it as some sort of hallucination.

I stood up and looked outside my window. I couldn't see anything besides the huge stone wall.

However, I was still alive.

_I need... to survive._

_Even if I don't have any control over it... my life is still mine, right?_

_And I only have one chance... to live it to the fullest._

I tried to sleep, but I couldn't. I hated what I was feeling. Anxious about what the future had in store for us. Depressed about what I could have done differently. 

_Mum... I'm sorry... I want to go home... I want to be with you..._

The killing game... I had never thought such a thing existed outside of fiction. I was wrong. Masuta's game... was real life.

* * *

**Prologue: Our World of Chaos [END]**

* * *

**Finally... Welcome, my friends, to this world of chaos. Let us begin the game. A world of peace awaits us at the end. We shall be free.**

**...**

**...**

**So this is what they call revenge, huh.**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

**Danganronpa: Project Chaos**

**"Astra inclinant, sed non obligant"**

**"The stars incline us, they do not bind us"**

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's FAR from perfect, but I'm still really excited to share this story. I took special care when creating the trials, so if you're a fan of mystery, you've come to the right place! Please let me know what you think of it so far. I hope you enjoy the ride!
> 
> I'm writing this on 2nd January, so happy new year! I wish you all an amazing 2020!
> 
> (It's been over a year since I wrote this note. Back then, I thought that 2020 would be a great year... how cute. I would delete these notes, but this one is funny, so I'm just gonna leave it here.)


	9. Interlude: The Beginning of the World, Far From You

In a completely black void stood a man. Or perhaps they were a woman. Maybe neither. It was hard to tell, given the poor quality of the drawing on the screen.

The person's name was Yu.

...That didn't really help. Well, Yu's gender didn't seem to be the point of the story, anyway.

Yu woke up at 6 am, as usual. They brushed their teeth, took a shower and got dressed—they put on an old suit they'd received from their father, who had apparently bought it from a sketchy store in Kabukicho. 

Looking out of their window, there was not much Yu could see, aside from their neighbour's clothes hanging from the window frame, left to dry. They all seemed very out-there in terms of style—a green dress, a rainbow-coloured shirt, neon purple pants... Yu simply assumed their neighbour was a young lady that had one day decided she'd been born in the wrong decade. She was never at home during the morning—or, at least, she didn't show herself to Yu, though the latter had always assumed she was merely still sleeping at some random guy's place.

However, Yu didn't have time to waste analysing their unknown neighbour's life choices. They left their building at around 6.30 am and headed directly to the metro station. The underground was very crowded, and, as always, Yu had to endure some fat man's heavy breathing behind their back.

Once Yu finally stepped out into the bustling city above the metro, they felt relieved. They could finally breathe some clean air. Well, to be frank, the air there was far from clean—a truck had just passed by, releasing a great amount of smoke. Nevertheless, having finally been freed from that crowded space, Yu smiled.

...However, that moment of happiness didn't last long, as Yu suddenly realised it was already past 8 am, and thus, they were late to work. As soon as they noticed that, they began running as fast as they could.

Fifteen minutes later, Yu was sitting at their desk while their boss yelled at them for being late once again. Wake up earlier, he said; buy a car, he said... But that didn't make any sense, and Yu knew it! They woke up the earliest out of all the members of the staff—yes, they'd checked that—and everyone knew there was a lot of traffic that early in the morning.

The truth was simple... Sometimes, life simply didn't go Yu's way. Well, _all the time_ , to be more precise... or so they thought.

During their lunchtime, Yu ate alone, unlike their colleagues, who ate together every day. They had invited Yu, yes, and they seemed like nice people, but...

...Yu didn't know. They didn't get along with them, and that was the end of it. There was no depressing reason behind it. It was just that simple.

At 2 pm, Yu got back to work. Sitting in front of a computer all day... It wasn't all that healthy, to say the least. After only two hours, their eyes started to hurt, no matter how low the brightness was set to. That happened every day, but Yu hadn't really done anything about it. Well, they _did_ once ask their boss if he could perhaps buy a more comfortable computer for them to work with, but, of course, that didn't go very well. Theoretically, Yu could try going to a doctor, but they didn't have the time nor the money to do so.

Yu had agreed to work only until 9 pm, but they ended up going past midnight every day. Once they were done with work, they got a taxi home—there weren't many night buses, and the metro closed at midnight sharp. Taxis were surely more expensive, but what could Yu do about it? You guessed it: nothing.

The video on the screen then proceeded to speed up as it showed Yu's same uneventful daily routine again. And again. And again. And again. And again and again and again.

...

In a completely black void stood a man. Or perhaps they were a woman. Maybe neither. It was hard to tell, given the poor quality of the drawing on the screen.

The person's name was Yu.

...That didn't really help. Well, Yu's gender didn't seem to be point of the story, anyway.

Yu woke up at 6 am, as usual. They brushed their teeth, took a shower and got dressed—they put on an old suit they'd received from their father, who had apparently bought it from a sketchy store in Kabukicho.

Looking out of their window, there was not much Yu could see, aside from their neighbour's clothes hanging from the window frame, left to dry. They all seemed very out-there in terms of style—a green dress, a rainbow-coloured shirt, neon purple pants... Yu simply assumed their neighbour was a young lady that had one day decided she'd been born in the wrong decade. She was never at home during the morning—or, at least, she didn't show herself to Yu, though the latter had always assumed she was merely still sleeping at some random guy's place.

...Huh?

There was someone there.

Someone on the window.

Yu's neighbour...? Well, if so, then their assumptions had been completely wrong. Standing there was an old lady—wearing a fedora, no less. She gave Yu a warm smile.

Yu's first thought was that the old hag was having one heck of a midlife crisis. In fact, that lady looked so old that it was probably dangerous for her to even leave her apartment without someone to help her. Where had she been all that time?

Seemingly out of nowhere, the old lady threw something towards Yu. It landed right on their hands, and they lowered their head to see what it was—a tree branch. Its brown colour contrasted with the greyness of the apartment, making it look even more out of place. Unsure what to do with this new-found item, Yu raised their head to ask the old lady, but she had already vanished, leaving no traces behind.

That lady was surely unhinged, or at least that's what Yu thought. They decided to do something about the branch later and threw it towards their sofa... However, as soon as the tip of the branch touched it, the sofa turned into a bunch of white butterflies, which then flew straight through the window and out of Yu's apartment.

Suffice to say, Yu was left bewildered. They simply stood there, staring at the empty space where their sofa had been just a few seconds prior.

After the initial confusion, Yu began testing the branch's "power". 

They used it on their table. It became a dog.

They used it on their toaster. It became a flower.

They used it on their bed. It became a tree stump. 

The more Yu used the branch, the more amazed they got. That power was real, somehow. There didn't appear to be any sort of science behind it—it was magic, pure and simple.

Curious about the mysterious old lady's identity, Yu headed to the apartment building where she presumably lived. They asked the doorman about the old woman that lived on the fifth floor, but they were unable to answer. Apparently, that place had been abandoned for a long time. The actual owner of the apartment had been trying to sell it for ages, but couldn't.

Well, at the end of the day, Yu didn't really care. They thanked the old lady in their mind and moved on with their life. It was 8 pm. They were late to work.

...But who the heck cared?

Yu began using the branch on whatever they found themselves in front of. The fire hydrant? A fox. The hot-dog stand? A bunch of swallows. That weird guy that sells magazines behind the library? A beautiful cherry blossom. The streets? A river. Their office and their boss? A cave and three bats.

As classical music began playing, getting louder by the minute, the environment around Yu changed from a boring old city to a forest full of life. They swam in the river, they fished, they played with the animals and climbed a mountain. At the top of said mountain, they watched as the sun set.

It was the beginning of a new world. A world where they didn't need to worry about being late to work or other people judging them.

And that... was the first moment in Yu's life when they felt truly free.

...

...

...A single tear rolled down the lone viewer's face. They closed the tab, and with that, the video stopped playing. Then, with an old blue pen, they began drawing inconspicuously on a sheet of paper.

Unbeknownst to that viewer, however, the video didn't end there.

Suddenly, Yu heard the beeping sound of their alarm. They tried to ignore it, but it was too loud. Finally, they opened their eyes. It was the start of a new day.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**\----------------**

**Chapter One: Ashes of Hope**

**\---------------**

[ [Opening Theme] ](https://youtu.be/so0KjJIkQBA)

**Song:** _Boys, Come Back to Me -_ Etsuko Yakushimaru (from Mawaru Penguindrum)


	10. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Daily Life - Part I

* * *

**Chapter 1: Ashes of Hope - Daily Life**

* * *

_*Ding dong! Dong ding!*_

_"Wakey, wakey! Night-time is officially over! Time to wake up! I hope you have a great day, my friends!"_

I woke up to Masuta's high-pitched voice.

"Argh," I muttered, still unable to believe what had happened the day prior. "Curse you, Masuta."

I opened the bedroom window and was immediately greeted by the huge wall that surrounded the campus. _There isn't much to see here,_ I thought.

After making my bed, I opened the wardrobe.

 _Oh yeah..._ _The clothes are all the same..._ _Couldn't Masuta at least give us some different styles or something?_ I thought as I grabbed the boring shirt in front of me.

As I always did in the mornings, I took a cold shower to get rid of my sleepiness. My mother had taught me this when I was just a little kid, since apparently I used to have problems waking up. I felt the freezing water pour down on my shoulders. However, it didn't have the reinvigorating effect I'd expected.

After the shower, I brushed my teeth. Since I obviously didn't have a toothbrush of my own, I had to use the one provided by Masuta. Although I was a bit hesitant at first, I ended up using it anyway. I didn't want to get a toothache, after all.

Looking at the mirror, I tried to make my hair straight, but to no avail. It seemed to have a mind of its own.

"Physics don't work that way, stupid hair," I said to myself.

No matter how hard I tried to forget about it, I was constantly reminded I'd be stuck in that campus for a very long time.

"Be strong, Daichi," I said, looking straight at my own reflection.

I decided to finally leave my bedroom, against my will. Being alone was dangerous. After taking a few steps outside, I bumped into Amaya.

"Hey, Daichi!" she called me. "Good morning!"

"Good morning," I replied. Amaya seemed to have regained her energy and confidence since Masuta announced the start of the killing game. "Where are you going?"

"To your bedroom!" she giggled. "Well, I don't really need to anymore. I came to call you."

"Call me?" I asked. "Why?"

"We've decided to meet every morning in the dining hall," she explained. "It was Yoko's idea. She said it would strengthen our bonds, or something like that."

"That sounds like a good idea," I replied, still a bit tired.

"Of course it is!" she exclaimed. "It would be a great way to share and discuss the clues we found!"

"I suppose so..."

I honestly wasn't in the mood to discuss anything. The more I reflected about our situation, the direr it seemed. This "meeting" would never amount to anything.

"C'mon, Daichi!" Amaya exclaimed. "Let's go!"

We headed to the dining hall. Everyone was already there, sitting at the table. Everyone except Masuta, that is, though I wouldn't consider him as part of the group.

"Yo, Daichi!" Hayato called me. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Hayato," I replied. "Hello, everyone."

Unlike Hayato and Amaya, most of the remaining people hadn't really recovered from the previous day's shock yet. The atmosphere was grim, and, for a good while, we just ate in silence.

Katashi, who was eating a small sandwich, stood up and began walking away from the table.

"H-Hey, Katashi," Yoko called him. "Where are you going?"

"We haven't begun our discussion yet..." Onoji said. "You know we arranged a morning meeting, right?"

"I don't like being around other people," Katashi replied. "Especially people who blindly believe in shallow concepts such as hope or luck. These things do not exist."

"There's no excuse for this attitude!" Jasmine groaned.

"You should at least tell us where you're going," Amaya inquired.

"Why would you care?" he replied. "I'm off."

Katashi exited the dining hall, presumably heading to the dormitory. There wasn't anything we could do about him at the moment.

"H-He's going to enter Kaya's list of bullies!" Kaya declared. "I shall not forgive him!"

"Just let him be his emo self for the time being, okay?" Aiko said. "I'm sure he'll eventually open himself to us."

"Given our current situation," I said, "I suppose it can't be helped..."

"Our situation is not the problem!" Yoko exclaimed. "If we think positively, we'll be able to turn it into a good thing!"

"Yes, we must all be friends," Itaki agreed. "Profit and happiness walk side-by-side, you know."

"I-It's safer if we stay together, right?" Denki said.

"What a generic conversation this is turning into..." Jasmine muttered. "Still, I must admit that Yoko's right."

"I'm glad you all think that way," Yoko replied, smiling.

After that exchange, the mood in the dining hall seemed to become a little more upbeat.

"Okay!" Amaya said, bringing the attention over to her. "Before discussing anything, I think we should start by making some of our own rules, don't you think?"

"Rules?" Hayato asked.

"Oh, I like rules!" an unexpected voice exclaimed.

We all looked towards the dining hall entrance, where the voice had come from. Standing there was Masuta, with the same creepy smile that we had come to know.

"M-M-Masuta?!" Chihiro stuttered.

"Kiyaaaaaaaaahhh!!!" Niko screamed.

"You startled me," I said. "Do not do that again, for the love of God."

"Fine... Fine..." he sighed. "I just wanted to be included as well! That's why I came here!"

"Get. Out. Now," I replied.

Masuta's existence was enough to make me extremely irritated. His seemingly cheerful attitude only aggravated that feeling.

"Please!" he said. "I want to be friends with all of you! Why are you excluding me?! The fact that I kidnapped you doesn't mean you can bully me!"

"B-Bully?" Kaya asked.

Before Masuta could say anything else, Denki grabbed him and tossed him across the hall. He flew right past me before hitting the wall.

"Woah!" Masuta cried. "I didn't expect a fight scene this early on!"

"D-Don't you dare do anything to us!" Denki exclaimed.

"Of course, of course," Masuta said, standing up. "The rules forbid me from attacking you directly. They also forbid you from hitting me, though... Or have you forgotten about that?"

 _Wait..._ I thought. _No way...!_

Denki gulped, concerned.

"W-Wait," Jasmine stuttered. "Y-You're not gonna do anything to Denki, a-are you?"

Masuta's smile disappeared. His expression turned dead serious.

"This is my final warning," he said. "Do not break the rules. I'll let it slide just this time. If this happens, again-"

"There will be punishment, we know," Amaya said in a sarcastic tone. "Can you leave now? We have stuff to discuss."

"Ha..." he sighed. "Fine... Anyway, have a good day my friends! Happy killings!"

Masuta ran away from the dining hall as soon as he could.

"Denki!" Niko exclaimed. "You're our saviour!"

"D-Do you really think so?" Denki replied, flustered.

"D-Don't do it again, okay?" Jasmine said. "You scared the shit out of me. I thought Masuta was going to do something to you."

I was a bit surprised by Jasmine's unexpected show of empathy towards Denki. _Well, yesterday's events might have downplayed her ego a little_ , I thought.

"For now, I suppose it's safer to just follow the rules..." Yoko said. "All right, Denki?"

"Y-Yes..." Denki replied.

"Anyway, now that Masuta is out of the way," Aiko said, "we should listen to what Amaya has to say."

"Thank you," the detective replied. "Yoko suggested we meet every morning right here to discuss our findings... Right, Yoko?"

"Yes," Yoko said. "We could also get to know each other better that way!"

"It's also safer," Onoji added. "We'd know if anyone went missing-"

"Hey, Onoji!" Aiko shouted. "No one is going to go missing! Don't say negative things like that!"

"I-I'm sorry, Aiko..." he apologised.

 _He's right, though,_ I thought. _If something bad happens to one of us, we'll know._

"Sooooo..." Amaya pulled the conversation back to the main topic. "Do you all agree?"

Everyone nodded positively.

"All right!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "Now onto the next topic..."

"That would be our duties here," Itaki said.

"Duties?!" Niko exclaimed. "You mean washing the dishes and stuff?!"

"Yes, Niko," I replied. "We mean 'washing the dishes and stuff'."

 _I mean, what else could it be?_ I thought.

"I can cook!" Aiko declared, raising her hand.

"Hell yeah!" Hayato shouted. "Aiko's food is delicious!"

"Yes!" Onoji agreed.

"That would make the situation a bit easier to handle..." I admitted.

Aiko's cheeks turned bright red.

"Th-Thanks," she said, smiling. "I'd never thought you'd like my food so much..."

I recalled the spaghetti Aiko had made the day before. It had definitely been the highlight of my day. Well, to be honest, in a day full of horrible things, it wasn't that hard for that moment to stand out.

"All right!" Amaya said. "Now onto cleaning..."

"M-May I interrupt? P-Please don't hurt me..."

Once again, we all turned to the entrance of the dining hall.

"Masuta," Saeka said, giving him a dreadful stare.

"Didn't we kick you out of here only a few minutes ago?" Amaya said. "What do you want?"

Masuta had reappeared with seemingly no injuries from Denki's attack.

 _I wouldn't expect any less from a professional kidnapper,_ I thought.

"H-Hey!" Masuta shouted. "I'm here to help!"

"H-Help?" Denki asked, confused.

"Yes! I'm here to help you! You see, I'm responsible for cleaning this campus! You don't need to worry about any of that!"

"Responsible for cleaning..." Niko mumbled. "That would be helpful."

Hayato stepped forward, although hesitantly. "H-Hey! Hold on a second, Masuta! How can we be sure that you'll do it properly?!"

"How can _I_ know that _you_ will do it properly?" Masuta replied. "I must ensure that everything goes well for this game! And that includes the appearance of this school as well!"

"Appearance?" Chihiro asked.

"Of course!" Masuta exclaimed. "Can you imagine?! A bunch of teenagers cleaning an entire campus! Inconceivable!"

 _You are a teenager too..._ I thought.

"H-Hey!" Aiko protested. "I'm also good at cleaning!"

"Let him be," Saeka said. "I do not think that will be of any harm to us."

Hearing Saeka's words, Masuta approached her. "Aaawww, Saeka! Thank you so much! You're so sweet!"

"Now go away," Saeka replied coldly.

"O-Okay, Ms. Takamoto!" he stuttered.

Our Game Master swiftly left the dining hall. He was no match for Saeka's cold stare.

"What a weird fella he is," Niko said.

"Indeed..." Hayato sighed. "Well, at least we won't have to worry about cleaning, right?"

"I suppose that's the case," I replied, "though I'd certainly prefer if he just stayed hidden in his secret room or wherever he watches us from."

With Masuta gone, we resumed our discussion.

"I have a question," Onoji said. "What about trash and laundry?"

"Each person should be responsible for their own part," Saeka replied. "It is the simpler and better solution. Thus, I believe there is no need to discuss this matter."

"I agree with you," Jasmine said. "I won't let any of you touch my precious clothes with your unclean hands!"

"All right, then," Amaya approved. "If that's what you want..."

"If you need any help, though, I can do the washing for you," Aiko said. "Just call me, okay?"

 _Aiko offers her help every single time_ , I noticed. _I hope she doesn't overwork herself. We need to preserve our strength..._

It seemed like only a few minutes had passed since our discussion began. Despite that, we had been able to discuss everything when it came to our daily duties.

"It's great to see everything going well," Yoko said.

"Yes, I'm relieved," Chihiro replied. "I was expecting much more conflict."

"It is indeed great that we are getting along," Saeka said, ever so quietly. "Nevertheless, our current state of affairs is far from desirable. Henceforth, I propose we discuss our aforementioned findings. We might be able to find a way to end this mess."

"C-Could ya please say it in a simpler way?" Hayato asked.

"She's saying that we should share what we've found," I explained.

"Oh, I see it now!" he replied. "I'm sorry guys... I didn't notice anything interesting..."

_Wait...!_

"Wait a second, Hayato," I interrupted. "You _did_ show me something really important."

"Uh... Did I?" he said, confused. "What is it, Daichi?"

_Did you already forget about it?!_

"Don't you remember the bird you showed me when we first met?" I said.

"Oh, thaaaaaaat," he replied.

"What are you talking about?" Aiko asked.

"A b-bird?" Denki said. "What bird?"

"Hayato, is it that _Vultur Gryphus_ you were talking about back in the video room?" Niko said.

"Yes, I think that was the name of the bird," I responded in his place. "According to Hayato, it can only be found in the Andean Mountains, in South America."

"I have read an intriguing book about that bird," Saeka said. "I can see why one would be so pleased to see it with their own eyes."

Amaya walked over to me. "Hold on. You're not suggesting that we're in the Andean Mountains, are you?"

"It's the most logical assumption," I replied.

She put her hand on her chin. "So, we're in South America... Well, at least we can now be sure that this is not the Kyouiku District campus. I wonder how they brought us here all the way from Japan..."

Some people didn't take that reveal as calmly as Amaya.

"Th-This is some crazy bullshit, you know that?!" Jasmine said. "How can you just expect us to believe it?!"

"South America..." Onoji said. "That's so far away..."

"W-We're so far from home..." Chihiro mumbled.

"Now that's an interesting development," Yoko said. "Still, are you sure that was the bird you saw, Hayato?"

"Yes!" Hayato exclaimed. "I've always wanted to see one, so I did some extensive research on it before coming here!"

 _I wonder what he means by "extensive research"_ , I thought. _He probably just looked it up online or something._

"So it's the first time you actually see it?" Jasmine said. "That doesn't really help your case. You could've mistaken it for another random bird."

"I just know it, okay?!" Hayato replied. "I'm sure the bird I saw was a _Vultur Gryphus_!"

"I get what you're trying to say," Onoji said, "but still... It's hard to believe Masuta brought us all the way here."

"I must admit, there's no real evidence besides that bird..." Amaya pointed out. "The mountain range doesn't prove anything. This could very well be Hokkaido... But still... I don't think we're in Japan. Everyone would know our location if that were the case."

"What's the freaking point in talking about this random bird, then?!" Jasmine yelled. "It seems useless, don't you agree?"

"J-Jasmine is right," Denki stuttered. "Shouldn't we just move onto another topic?"

"Yes, that's what I was about to say," Amaya added.

Hayato looked disappointed with the outcome of that conversation.

"Moving on..." Amaya said. "I've been eager to talk about that game..."

" _Danganronpa_ ," Chihiro said.

That game... I'd been thinking about it for a while. _It must be really important,_ I thought _. After all, Masuta is clearly copying it..._

"Oh, the game," Saeka said. "From what I understand, the only ones that have played it are Niko, Chihiro and Daichi."

"That game is super awesome!" Niko exclaimed. "Though it would be scary in real life..."

"If Masuta got the idea of kidnapping us from this shitty game, then he must be a real weeb," Jasmine said.

Amaya turned her eyes toward me. "Daichi, can you explain this game to us? I think there's a lot of people among us who have never played it."

"Sure..." I replied.

Now, everyone's gazes were focused on me. For some reason, I felt a bit pressured.

" _Danganronpa,_ " I began, "is a series of visual novels that spawned a somewhat large franchise. It isn't that mainstream, but it's still really popular. In each of the three main games, a group of sixteen 'Ultimate Students' are forced to play... a killing game whose rules are practically the same as the ones Masuta created."

"So even the title of 'Ultimates' is the exact same..." Amaya said.

"That can't just be a coincidence, right?" Onoji said. "If what you're saying is true, Daichi, then this _Danganronpa_ thing must be relevant."

"It doesn't stop there," I said. "The way we woke up inside lockers, the design of the campus, the way Masuta revealed his rules... It's all extremely similar to those games."

"Wait..." Chihiro said. "Something's missing..."

"Hm?" Hayato mumbled. "What is it?"

Chihiro averted her eyes. "... _Monokuma,_ themonochromatic teddy-bear.It's the mascot of _Danganronpa._ "

"Th-That sounds creepy..." Denki mumbled.

"Chihiro's made a good point," Niko said. "If Masuta is really copying the games, then how come he doesn't have his own version of _Monokuma_? Even the laziest fan-made stories have their own take on the character!"

"That's simple, actually," I replied. "Masuta _is_ the _Monokuma_ of this killing game. He's the one making the rules and instigating us to play it."

"That makes some sense..." Chihiro said. "Although it is a bit weird..."

"So he's role-playing as a teddy bear?" Jasmine replied. "See? I told you he was a weeb."

"I, the great Kaya Suzuya, have to agree," Kaya said. "Masuta seems to be the kind of fool that would be influenced by a fictional story. Wahahaha!"

"Hey!" Niko exclaimed. "Fictional stories matter too!"

 _Now that I think about it..._ I thought. _Masuta isn't the only one that's similar to a game character... There's also-_

"The exact details of how our situation parallels the games do not matter," Saeka said, interrupting my thoughts. "What's important is that we now know where Masuta got his idea of a killing game from."

"This whole game thing smells of a conspiracy," Amaya said. "The mastermind behind this game is the company that created _Danganronpa_! They are doing this whole thing to promote a new game or something! I bet they're filming us right now!"

Amaya seemed excited about her idea. She looked around the dining hall, probably trying to find a camera. However, something about her theory didn't sound right to me.

"I-I'm sorry to disappoint, Amaya," Chihiro said, "but they confirmed that _Danganronpa_ is over. They're not making any more games."

"Ah..." Amaya sighed. "Really...? I guess it's not a conspiracy after all... Or at least, it's not _that_ conspiracy."

"So... What do we have?" Aiko asked.

"A crazy fanboy is our best theory?" Jasmine said. "We can come up with something better than that, right?"

"Yeah, it's crazy to think a simple game would lead someone to kidnap us..." Aiko said.

"There must be another hidden motive for Masuta's actions..." Onoji said. "I'm sure of it."

"Nah, maybe not," Niko replied. "Every fandom has their fair share of crazy apples."

"Wahahaha!" Kaya shouted. "Did you say crazy?!"

"Shut up!" Jasmine ordered.

"B-B-But that's bullying...!" Kaya stuttered.

Before Jasmine and Kaya began fighting, Amaya stepped forward.

"Ahem!" she cleared her throat. "I think that's enough for talking about this game. Still, it intrigues me... If any of you find any more parallels to this game, please tell me."

"Oh, I know one! No... I know two!" Niko said, jumping around with her hand raised.

Even though we wanted to move onto another topic, _Danganronpa_ seemed too big of a piece of the puzzle to just shove it aside.

"Hm?" Yoko asked. "What are you talking about, Niko?"

"You, silly!" Niko exclaimed.

It was Niko said: Yoko _did_ resemble a _Danganronpa_ character. Her talent was also an indicator of that.

"Me?" Yoko replied, confused.

Niko nodded. "Yes! You look exactly like a _Danganronpa_ protagonist! You always talk about hope, and you even have an ahoge!"

 _Hey, I have one too!_ I thought. Thankfully, I didn't say that out loud.

Yoko looked away. "A protagonist?" she said, in a somewhat sad tone. "No, that's definitely not the case."

"Huh? Why not?" Aiko asked.

"Well..." she sighed. "I'm not that special, you know. I don't think I'd be a good fit for a protagonist..."

"Really...?" Niko said, disappointed. "But being normal is practically a requirement for protagonists!"

"I'm sorry, Niko..." Yoko replied. "B-But I'm glad you think that way. Thank you! U-Um... A-Anyway, what's the other parallel you mentioned?"

"That would be Chihiro," I said.

"M-Me?" Chihiro gasped.

_...You know very well what I'm talking about._

"Yeah!" Niko said. "Your talent and personality are similar to those of Chihiro Fujisaki! They're another _Danganronpa_ character."

"W-Well..." Chihiro stuttered. "You might be right... But I assure you, it's just a coincidence..."

"If you say so..." I replied.

 _A coincidence, she says..._ I thought. _No, that can't be. She's basically cosplaying as the character... There has to be more to this._

"Now..." Saeka prompted. "Onto something more important. What are the survival rates in those games?"

"Hm? How do you mean?" Onoji asked.

"I-I think I get what you're saying..." Chihiro said, running the numbers in her head. "I-It's approximately 30%... I think."

"In other words..." Saeka mumbled. "Only four or five of us will make it out alive..."

"H-How can you say things like that with a straight face?!" Jasmine shouted.

"The chances could have been zero," Saeka replied. "Now we know they are not."

"L-Let's not worry about that for the time being, shall we?" Onoji said.

"That's the spirit, Onoji!" Aiko exclaimed. "See? Isn't it better to be positive?"

"I-I guess..." he replied, seemingly unsure how to respond.

"Onoji is right," Yoko agreed. "The best way to end this game is by simply not playing it."

_...You don't say, Sherlock._

"What do you mean by that?" Hayato asked.

"If we ignore Masuta and his game... then it'd end soon, right?" Denki said.

"There's no way Masuta could run this game for eternity," Amaya said.

"Oh, they even did this once in one of the games!" Niko added. "And it worked!"

"All right!" Aiko exclaimed. "That's what we're going with, then!"

"I'm happy that you guys believe in this plan," Yoko said, pleased. "It's not really complex, but..."

"It is practical," Saeka said. "For now, at least. Either way, it is of utmost importance we investigate this place thoroughly."

"Yahoo!" Amaya exclaimed. "Investigation time!"

"B-But there's one problem..." Denki raised his hand. "Don't you guys think it'd be better to always be with someone else? You know... for safety?"

"I agree," Aiko said. "Didn't Masuta say there are hidden guns and surveillance cameras everywhere? We need to be careful."

"Let's go in pairs, then," Onoji said. "May I accompany you, Aiko?"

"Of course!" she replied happily. "Let's get going, everyone!"

With that, our first morning meeting ended. Spirits were higher than before. Now that we had finally settled on our responsibilities, everything appeared to be going perfectly fine. 

_Perhaps I was being a little too pessimistic earlier this morning..._


	11. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Daily Life - Part II

"Hey, Daichi!" Hayato called me. "Come with me! Let's be a pair!"

"Sure," I replied. "Just... try not to break anything, all right?"

We had decided to investigate the campus further. Hayato and I were to begin with the library.

 _The books there might contain some kind of clue_ , I thought.

Once we arrived there, we noticed we weren't alone. Kaya and Saeka were also in the library, both sitting at the table right near the door.

"Hey, look!" Hayato pointed at them. "What are they talking about?"

"It's none of our business," I replied. "We probably shouldn't-"

"Hey guys!" he exclaimed, ignoring me. Actually, it was more as if he didn't even realise I had said anything at all.

"Mr. Mizuki and Mr. Abe!" Kaya replied. "Hello! Wahaha!"

"Do you really need to laugh every time you say something?" I said.

"But of course! Wahahaha!"

"Could you please be quiet? This is still a library," Saeka said coldly. She was reading a book simply entitled _Murder Cases and Other Mysteries_.

"Wahahaha!" Kaya shouted. "I'll never! Ever! Speak quietly! Lowering your voice is a sign of weakness!"

 _It's not a sign of weakness,_ I thought. _It's a sign of common sense._

"...Are you really that irritating?" Saeka mumbled, closing the book and standing up.

"I shall not surrender!" Kaya shouted.

The two of them stared fiercely at each other.

 _This doesn't look good,_ I thought. _Are they going to fight...?_

"H-Hey, Daichi?" Hayato whispered to me. "What should we do?"

"I have an idea," I whispered back. I couldn't leave them arguing like that. "Ahem!"

Saeka and Kaya turned their attention to me.

"K-Kaya," I said, "you don't like bullying, do you?"

"O-Of course not!" she replied. "Bullying is-"

"That's a bit hypocritical, though..." I interrupted. "What you're doing with Saeka now is bullying, you know."

"Huh?!" she gasped. "Wh-What...?"

"I don't think I understand it either," Hayato said.

_Shut up, Hayato!_

"Well, Kaya, you're making fun of Saeka just because she doesn't like talking that much," I made up an explanation. "That's bullying."

"N-No, it's not..." she mumbled. "A-And I wasn't making fun of her! The great Kaya Suzuya is not a bully!"

"In that case..." I said. "Why don't you try to be more friendly towards Saeka?"

Kaya turned around, presumably reflecting upon what I had just said.

 _Will she buy it...?_ I wondered.

"A-All right!" Kaya declared. "I shall do that!"

She pointed her index finger at Saeka, almost touching her cheek.

"Ms. Takamoto!" Kaya called her. "M-May I c-call you... Saeka?"

"Sure," Saeka answered, not paying that much attention to her.

"Great! We shall become great friends, Saeka! Wahahaha!" 

Kaya hugged Saeka tightly. The latter didn't seem pleased with this result, though.

"Fine..." Saeka said, disinterested. "Just... Grab a book for you to read and be quiet, please..."

"Are you inviting me to read with you?!" Kaya shouted. "I-I'm so happy... This is my first time getting invited to... anything! You're the best, Saeka!"

Kaya ran to the furthermost back of the library, where all the science-related books were stored.

"Thanks, Daichi," Saeka said, trying to stay quiet so that Kaya would not hear. "However, I hope this does not evolve into an even bigger bother..."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

_*Bang!*_

A huge sound echoed through the library. It came from where Kaya was.

_What was that?!_

"I-I'm fine!" Kaya shouted. "It's just that a few books fell off the shelf! But fear not! I, the great Kaya Suzuya, shall organise them for my best friend Saeka! Wahahaha!"

Saeka and I remained in silence, as I finally understood what she had meant. Had I created an even bigger problem for her? 

_Dealing with Kaya will probably not be an easy task..._ I thought. _Maybe I shouldn't have listened to Hayato and stayed out of this... Well, it's not like we can change the past, so there's no point in dwelling on it now._

"Hey, Daichi!" Hayato said. "We're just like them, aren't we? We're best friends, riiiiiiiight?"

"Uh... yes?" I replied.

"Yay! That's great! Um... By the way... Did you use to have many friends before coming here?"

_What kind of question is that?!_

Hayato's question caught me by surprise. I didn't have an immediate answer to it. After thinking for a second, I replied, "I guess... I had a friend named Tobias, though I don't see why that would be relevant now."

"Really?" Hayato replied. "I'd love to meet him when we get out of this mess!"

"Sure..." I said reluctantly.

Kaya reappeared from the back of the library. "Hey, you two!" she exclaimed, looking at Hayato and me. "Get out of here!"

"Y-You're kicking us out?" Hayato replied, confused. "Why...?"

"I want to create a nice environment for my best friend Saeka! And you two are disturbing it! Now, get out! This is an order from me, the great Kaya Suzuya!"

"I-I'm not taking any orders from you!" Hayato exclaimed.

Saeka sighed. "I am deeply sorry, but... Do what she says, for now. I do not wish to prolong this any further."

"B-But-"

I put my hand on Hayato's shoulders.

 _I'm really not in the mood to argue with her,_ I thought.

"Let's go, Hayato," I said.

* * *

In the end, we didn't investigate the library. We decided to investigate another section of the campus, while Kaya and Saeka searched for clues there.

"We should check the shop," I suggested.

"I totally forgot about that place!" Hayato said. "I've never even been there."

 _Oh yeah, he was talking with Niko while I explored that place,_ I recalled.

As he stepped into the room, Hayato exclaimed, "That machine looks fun!"

As expected, the machine Itaki had been investigating the day prior was still there. _I didn't get a chance to look at it closely yesterday,_ I thought. _I suppose now's the time._

"It seems like you need to scan your e-Handbook to activate it," I said. "See? That looks like a scanner."

"Okay! I'll give it a shot!" Hayato replied.

Hayato grabbed his e-Handbook and scanned it excitedly. However, nothing happened.

Hayato scratched his head. "Huh? Why didn't it work?"

"Perhaps it's just broken," I said.

"No! No!" Masuta's voice echoed in the shop. The door behind us burst open, and our Game Master came running in. "How could you?! I'd never let one of my oh-so-dear machines break! They're my precious little darlings!"

_Precious little darlings...?_

"O-Okay..." I replied, startled.

_I should probably prepare a few answers in case Masuta decides to talk to me again..._

"Anyway, why didn't the machine work?" I asked.

"Wasn't one of the presents behind that window supposed to come out of it?" Hayato said.

"Of course!" Masuta replied. "But only if you have enough coins, that is."

"Coins?" I asked.

"Yes, coins! Money!" he shouted. "Nothing in life is free!"

"B-But we don't have any money here..." Hayato sighed. "How are we meant to use this thing?"

Masuta grinned. "That's why I've created a special currency just for you! The _Kikai Coins_ , or _K-Coins_ for short. Your e-Handbook comes with some pre-installed!"

"So it's a digital currency," I said.

"Exactly!" Masuta confirmed.

 _Sounds sketchy..._ I thought.

"And how do you get more?" I asked.

"Upupupupu..." he giggled. "Well, you can transfer coins from one person to another, but that doesn't sound fun, does it? What if I told you there was a super easy way to get more coins?"

"That would be great!" Hayato replied. "What is it?"

"Wahahaha! A bunch of K-Coins will be distributed once a blackened is successfully caught! Isn't that exciting, my friends?"

_Of course it'd have something to do with the killing game..._

"A-AH! I-I take it back!" Hayato shouted. "I don't want those coins!"

"Aw, come on!" Masuta cried. "Can't you be at least a little bit excited for our game?!"

"No, we cannot," I replied. "You may leave now."

"O-Okay..." Masuta said, sobbing. "I just wanted to be friends with you..."

Masuta exited the shop. I noticed tears forming in his eyes as he walked past us. 

"Why do we keep getting reminded of the existence of that guy?" I said. "I wish we could just forget about him..."

"Yeah..." Hayato agreed. "And I still don't understand where my K-Coins went..."

"Huh?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

I opened my e-Handbook to check my K-Coins. On the upper left corner, I could read the number of coins in my possession: 100.

"I have a hundred," I said. "How much do you have?"

"W-Well..." Hayato stuttered. "Zero..."

"What?!" I gasped. "How come?! We didn't even know about them until now!"

"You see... It's a bit embarrassing..."

"Oh, come on," I insisted. "Why can't you tell me?"

"All right," he sighed. "Well, I was messing with my e-Handbook last night and I think I might've lost them..."

"It's a digital currency," I interrupted. "How can you even lose that?"

"I-I dunno!" he replied. "It just kind of happened... Although... Now that I think about it... I think there was a message telling me if I really wanted to delete all my _K-C_..."

Hayato took a few seconds to process what he had just said.

"OOOOH NOOOOOOOO!"

I tried to understand the logic behind that, but I simply couldn't.

 _Why does an option like that exist in the first place?_ I thought. _Did he manage to hack his e-Handbook without knowing it?_

Hayato looked a bit sad. Deep down, I knew he wanted to try out that machine.

_Some of those items do look cool, I must admit..._

"Hey, Hayato," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you spend some of my coins?"

"Really?!" he exclaimed in joy. "Yahoo! Thanks so much, Daichi!"

I lent him my e-Handbook, and he scanned it. A monitor attached to the machine turned on, and a message appeared: _Pull the lever to receive a random present_.

Without hesitation, Hayato did as the message said. The machine produced a strange noise, and a box came out of it. Inside, we found a black-stained glass sphere. There wasn't anything inside the sphere itself, although we wouldn't have noticed it anyway, since the glass was too dark.

"D-Daichi..." Hayato said in awe. "It's... beautiful..."

_...What?_

"Huh?" I mumbled, dazzled. "You're joking, right? It's just a glass ball."

"No, it's not _just_ a glass ball!" he replied, as if I had committed some kind of heresy. "It's black hole!"

"A... wait, what?"

 _What the actual fuck is he talking about?_ I wondered.

"It's a black hole, alright!" Hayato declared. "You just can't see it because it sucks all of the light around it!"

_...Sometimes, I really can't tell if he's joking or not._

"Okay..." I said. "If you say so..."

Hayato looked away. "You... You want it, don't you? Of course, you do... Who wouldn't want something as cool as a black hole?"

"Uh... You can keep it."

_I don't want this trash._

"A-Are you serious?!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining. "Great! Thanks a lot, Daichi! I-I can't thank you enough! I'll find somewhere to display it in my room!"

Hayato left the shop, never letting his eyes off his "black hole".

 _Well, I guess I have some free time, now..._ I thought, exiting the shop.

* * *

"I haven't eaten anything in a while..." I sighed.

I went to the dining hall to get something to eat. After all, it was already around 3 pm.

"Oh, hello there, Daichi," a voice called me as I approached the hall. It was Onoji. "Are you also going to have lunch? I was going to eat the leftovers from yesterday's spaghetti. Do you want some?"

"By all means," I replied. "Thanks a lot."

_That spaghetti was so good... Who would say no to that?!_

"Good, then," Onoji said, smiling. He headed into the kitchen and came back with two big plates of spaghetti and a glass of milk.

 _How could Aiko cook so much so fast?_ I asked myself, looking at the sheer amount of food in front of me.

"Hey, Onoji. Why did you bring milk with you?" I asked.

"I'm going to drink it as I eat," he replied. "Why? Isn't it obvious?"

"A-Are you seriously planning to eat spaghetti and drink milk at same time?!" I gasped.

_Th-That's... That's rule number one when eating spaghetti: don't drink milk while doing so!_

"Huh?" Onoji said, confused. "Is there a problem?"

"N-No..." I replied, looking away.

"I see," he replied. "Have a good meal!"

As I was eating, I couldn't help but wonder if he was just joking around or not. I kept glancing at him, and, to my surprise, he really was drinking milk while eating spaghetti.

 _Th-That's absurd! Unheard of!_ I thought, astounded.

"I-I'm done," I said. "Do you want me to clean your plate as well?"

"Oh, Daichi, that's so generous of you," Onoji said, smiling. "I really appreciate it, but... I cannot accept your offer. I need to learn to get by, now that my butler is not around..."

"Your... what?!" I shouted. "B-Butler?!"

"Well, yes," Onoji clarified. "Why the surprised face?"

 _He must be kidding, right?_ I thought.

"Uh..." I mumbled, not sure how to reply.

"D-Did I say anything wrong?" Onoji asked. "I-I'm not very familiar with Japanese customs, so..."

"Y-Yeah..." I replied. "You said- No, don't worry about it..."

 _I don't think he'll understand it, anyway,_ I thought.

"Is it something regarding my butler?" Onoji asked. "I don't know what's so strange about it. Everyone has a butler, don't they?"

_...I can't believe this._

"Well... no," I said.

"Oh!" he gasped. "I-I'm deeply sorry for my rudeness... Please forgive me if I make any more mistakes of that calibre."

"No, it's fine. Everyone makes mistakes," I said.

He looked a bit calmer after that. "I see... Thanks a lot, Daichi. I'll try to improve my knowledge on your customs. Aiko's giving me lessons."

_It's not about Japanese customs, but... I'll let it pass._

"Lessons?" I asked.

"Yes, Aiko is very knowledgeable," Onoji replied. "She's teaching me about your culture. And I'm finding it very fascinating, indeed."

"Oh, yeah, you haven't told me where you're from," I said. "You're a foreigner, right?"

He paused. "Um... Yes, I-I am not from here... I am from... um... The United Kingdom! Yes, I am from the United Kingdom."

 _He didn't sound that certain,_ I noticed.

"Onoji isn't a very British name, is it?" I said.

"Oh!" he gasped. "I-I suppose so... M-My parents... They... They have a habit of choosing weird names for their children..."

"Really?"

"Y-Yes! They... They named my sister... um... Antenna. They named her Antenna."

_Antenna? That certainly is a weird name. But Onoji's attitude here is even weirder. I wonder... Could he be hiding something?_

For the duration of those few moments of silence, Onoji avoided making eye-contact with me.

 _Anyway, why do you keep staring at my hair?_ I wondered, noticing where the boy's eyes were focused on. He gulped.

Before I could say anything, Onoji grabbed both of our plates and went to the kitchen to wash them.

"I-I'll wash them for you!" he told me. "A-Anyway, see you later, Daichi!"

Onoji seemed like a nice person, but there was definitely something off about him. However, I could not quite put my finger on it...

* * *

I walked aimlessly for what seemed like hours, looking for something to do, when suddenly...

_*BAM!*_

...I heard the sound of something falling to the ground.

_The gym...? This might be bad...!_

I opened the door, wanting to check whatever had caused such loud noise. There, I saw Denki, who apparently had just picked up a weight from the ground.

I sighed in relief. _I guess that explains the sound..._

Since there was nothing to worry about, I turned around, meaning to go somewhere else. However, before I was able to do that, Denki noticed me.

"Oh, hey there, Daichi," he said. "Wh-What are you doing?"

"Hi, Denki..." I replied awkwardly. "Um... I just wondered where that loud sound came from. What are _you_ doing?"

"I-I'm just training. Sorry about that sound... I slipped and ended up dropping one of those weights."

 _Figured as much..._ I thought. _Anyway Denki seems like a nice guy. Might as well spend some time with him._

"Do you train often, Denki?" I asked. "Judging by the size of those weights, it must be really tough."

"E-Every day."

"...What?!"

 _Now I get why he's so strong..._ I thought. _I shouldn't have expected any less from the Ultimate Bodyguard. Still, that does sound exhausting..._

"W-Wanna join me?" he asked.

"Ugh, hell no," I replied. He looked away, a bit uncomfortable.

 _...Was I too harsh?_ I wondered.

"I-I mean," I backpedalled, "look... I'm not the biggest fan of exercise, and... um..."

"D-Don't worry," he said. "I understand. I-I've only really started to like exercising recently."

"Hm? You didn't like it when you were younger?"

"N-No, in fact, I hated it..." he sighed. "E-Even now... I wouldn't say I enjoy it per say. I just got used to it. I-It's necessary if I want to keep protecting others..."

"That's very noble of you," I said. "If that's the case, then why did you become a bodyguard in the first place? That isn't a very common job to have, especially as a teenager."

"I-I wouldn't say it was a job until very recently," Denki said. "B-Back when I started, I just wanted to protect someone I cared about..."

_Someone he cared about...?_

"Y-You see," he continued. "Um... I-I think it was around five years ago. M-My dad... He... H-He had just... p-passed away, a-and..."

"You don't have to tell me if it's a sensitive subject for you," I said.

 _He's stuttering too much,_ I thought. _It's hard to make up what he's saying._

To my surprise, Denki giggled. "O-Oh, it's not like that at all. Th-That must be because of my s-stuttering, right? I-I think you might have noticed that already, but I do tend to stutter a lot..."

 _You think?_ I thought. _To be bluntly honest, that was the most memorable thing about you... I'm sorry for that..._

"I-I admit I am easily scared, but that isn't the reason I stutter," he said. "I-It's genetic."

"Genetic?" I asked.

"Y-Yeah. M-My mum also stutters, a-and my dad used to be the same... S-Sometimes I wonder if that's one of the, uh... One of the factors that led to their marriage, haha... "

 _I didn't even know that was a possibility..._ _Well, that's one thing I learned today._

At that moment, my conversation with Denki was interrupted by a familiar ring sound.

_*Ding dong! Dong ding!*_

_"Attention! It's now officially night-time! Some campus facilities will be off-limits, so please be cautious! Those facilities include: the warehouse, the laundry room, the incinerator room and the gymnasium. Sleep well, my friends!"_

Masuta's announcement echoed through the halls.

"It's getting late..." I said. "And besides, the gymnasium is off-limits during night-time. Masuta is probably going to yell at us if we stay here for much longer."

"I-I think I'll go to my room," Denki said. "I-I don't really like going to bed late."

"I'll be on my way, too," I said. "Oh, and I'm sorry if I messed up your training schedule, Denki."

He smiled. "Y-You don't have to apologise. It was very nice talking to you, Daichi. A-Anyway, uh... See you tomorrow!"

* * *

After parting ways with Denki, I spent some more time walking around.

 _At this point, I feel like I'm just patrolling this place_ , I thought. _Well, that isn't a bad thing. Someone has to do it. Still, it *is* getting really late..._

I finally decided to go back to the dormitory. On my way there, I looked upwards. There wasn't a single star in the sky.

 _That's weird_ ... _I thought I'd be able to observe them from here. Though it is somewhat cloudy today, I suppose..._

While staring at the sky, I accidentally bumped into someone else, making them fall to the ground.

"Ouch!" the person exclaimed.

"I-I'm so sorry!" I said, worried that I might have hurt them. "Oh wait... It's you."

 _Katashi..._ I thought, looking at the person's face.

He stood up and gave me a cold stare.

"Be careful where you walk, Abe," he said. I didn't have a chance to respond, as he simply walked away from the dormitory and into the main building.

 _Why is he walking around this late at night?_ I wondered. _Come to think of it, I haven't seen him since breakfast..._ _Why would he sleep during the day and explore the campus at night?_

I didn't bother to ask him that. Why would I? He had barely spent any time present in our morning discussion and disappeared for the rest of the day.

_This guy... Seriously, what's his deal?_

I went to my bedroom, still a bit uncomfortable. Nothing that weird or scary had happened that day. At least, not to the same extent as the day prior. However, this feeling... This feeling that everything was going to be all right... This feeling of peace...

It only made things even more frightening.


	12. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Daily Life - Part III

As soon as I woke up, I went to the dining hall for our second morning discussion.

"Is everyone here?" Yoko asked.

"I only see fourteen people," Chihiro said.

"That brat is not here," Jasmine groaned. "What a fucking surprise."

"Y-Yes, Jasmine is right," Denki replied. "Katashi is not here."

 _Of course he's not here..._ I thought. _I'd be surprised if he were._

"Aw..." Yoko sighed. "I was hoping he'd show up..."

"I don't think that was a reasonable prediction," Onoji said. "He doesn't seem very... sociable, to say the least."

"I have to agree with you on this one, Onoji..." I said.

"C'mon, guys! Brighten up!" Aiko exclaimed. "I know he'll eventually come to terms with us."

"I hope not. It's _way_ better without him," Kaya said. "He's just a big bad bully!"

Amaya leaned back in her chair. "Well, we can't really do anything about him, can we? We might as well begin our discussion. Did you guys find anything?"

Chihiro lowered her head. "Not really..."

"Me neither..." Niko added.

"There was nothing of note in the library," Saeka said.

Suddenly, Jasmine stood up and slammed her fist on the table. "What a bunch of useless idiots! Can't you do something meaningful for once?!"

"What did _you_ find, then?" I replied, annoyed.

She looked away, refusing to answer. "Hmph!"

"Hey, you two!" Aiko exclaimed. "This is no time to fight!"

"Aiko's right," Yoko said. "We're here to talk, not to yell. Anyway, back to the topic at hand... I'm sorry, I also didn't notice anything that'd help us."

"So... we didn't find anything?" Amaya said.

"That appears to be the case," Itaki replied, nodding his head.

"And here I was... Expecting something cool to show up..." Amaya sighed. "I guess I was just being naive..."

At that moment, Masuta barged into the dining hall, striking a triumphant pose. "Am I not cool enough?!"

"M-M-MASUTA!" Denki screamed.

"G-Go away!" Hayato shouted.

"H-Hey, why do you look so horrified?" Masuta stuttered. "I only want to help you, my friends!"

"Spit it out," Saeka inquired.

He clapped his hands, laughing. "Wow, you're as cold as ever, Saeka! Anyway... I just thought you'd want some handy clues."

"Clues?!" Amaya exclaimed, standing up.

"Of course we do!" Niko said.

Masuta jumped with excitement. "All right! I have an announcement to make: important clues will be revealed in due time!"

 _In due time...?_ I wondered.

"That's not really helping," Amaya said. "We need more clues. _Now_."

"Is there any way we can get that information right now?" Onoji asked.

"Upupupu! But of course!" Masuta declared. "You just need to survive a class trial!"

_A class trial... That means a murder would have to occur._

"Cut the bullshit!" Jasmine yelled. "That stupid game of yours in none of our goddamn business, for fuck's sake!"

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "It seems like someone here enjoys using bad words... Hmpf! You truly have no dignity."

"You shut up, too!" she replied, angry.

"There's no reason to be so aggressive, Jasmine..." Masuta said, trying to calm her down. "And our game is not stupid... It's fun! Super fun! HYPER ULTRA MEGA SUPER FUN!"

We all remained in silence for a few moments. 

"If you do not have anything to tell us, leave," Saeka ordered, breaking the silence.

"F-Fine..." Masuta sighed, looking somewhat sad. He slowly exited the dining hall, turning around every five seconds, presumably in order to check if someone demonstrated any pity towards him. Unfortunately for him, no one did.

"So, in the end... What do we have?" Amaya asked.

"Nothing..." Onoji said, disappointed.

"Hey, Onoji!" Aiko replied, approaching him. "That's wrong! We do have something!"

"Huh?" Niko asked. "What is it, Aiko?"

"Our minds, of course!" she said. 

_...What?_ I thought, unsure what she meant.

Touka, who hand't spoken a word since... Well, I hadn't seen her communicating with anyone ever since our first encounter. Nevertheless, she approached us and showed what she had written on her tablet: _"We can speculate_. _"_

"Speculate...?" Yoko mumbled. "Oh! Are you saying tha-"

 _"Yes_ , _"_ she typed on her tablet before Yoko could finish her sentence. _"You were saying that we could speculate, correct, Aiko?"_

Aiko nodded her head. "Exactly! Wow, Touka! It's almost as if you can read my mind!"

Touka went back to the corner of the room, ignoring her completely.

"That's a great idea, Aiko!" Yoko said. "If we can't find any clues, we can create our own, right?"

 _What kind of logic is that?!_ I thought.

"That's not how clues work..." Amaya sighed.

"Wahahaha!" Kaya shouted. "Thinking is my speciality! I, the great Kaya Suzuya, shall devise the greatest theories you have ever seen!"

"A-Anyway..." Denki said. "Th-There's one thing that seems... w-weird."

Jasmine crossed her arms. "Hey, I'm sorry, but could you stop stuttering and start talking already?"

"Hey, I'm sorry, but could you be a little more polite?" I said.

"Whatever..." she replied, looking away.

Denki raised his hand, eager to talk.

"What is it?" Aiko asked.

"W-Well..." he said. "D-Don't you think it's strange that the p-police haven't arrived yet?"

"I've been thinking about that..." Amaya said. "And I suppose it is strange. _Very_ strange."

"What do you mean?" Hayato asked.

Amaya scratched her chin. "With the exception of Onoji, everyone here is an Ultimate, right? At least in theory, that means we are of great value to the country. We're a part of the biggest government project in recent memory, after all. Therefore, the police should've already begun searching for us. Otherwise, the government would be wasting tons of money, don't you think? Besides, the old man wouldn't leave his little girl in danger..."

"Old man?" I asked. "Do you mean your father?"

"Well, yes," she replied. "He _is_ the most famous detective of Japan, at the end of the day."

Niko put her hand on her chin. "So, how much time do you think we'll have to wait until the police arrive? It's already been a day..."

"There's been enough time for them to arrive!" Jasmine shouted. "This whole situation is unacceptable! We're the ones who pay their salaries, aren't we?! "

"C-Calm down!" Denki said. "I-I'm sure locating us is not easy."

" _We_ do not know where we are to begin with..." Saeka said. "The only lead we have is Hayato's vague testimony regarding that bird, and even so, we do not know whether he is a reliable source of information or not..."

"H-Hey!" Hayato exclaimed in protest.

"I don't think talking about where we are would help us that much right now..." Onoji said. "Instead, I believe we should be discussing _why_ we're here."

"Um... Maybe for ransom?" I suggested. "It's just as Amaya said, we are really valuable."

"I don't see why they'd kidnap Onoji if that were the case..." Chihiro replied.

 _I suppose that's right..._ I thought.

"I have an idea!" Niko exclaimed. "What if everything was planned by the government?! They were the ones who gave us the title of Ultimates, meaning they must have played _Danganronpa_! Just like Masuta!"

"That makes sense, Niko!" Hayato agreed.

"I'm all in for conspiracies!" Amaya added.

I sighed. "I don't think that's what is happening. If that were the case, then why is Chihiro here? She's the daughter of the Prime Minister, and I don't think he would deliberately want to put her in danger."

"Yes..." Chihiro said. "He wouldn't approve of... _this_."

Amaya raised her hand. "Chihiro... There's something I've been eager to ask you."

"Um... What is it?" she replied shyly.

"It's about your father, Prime Minister Tatsuma Toga... Is he doing all right?"

"Er... Yes? I think so..."

Amaya glared at her menacingly. "You do know there have been a lot of conspiracy theories surrounding him lately, don't you? I mean, he just disappeared for a while and, when he came back, he announced this whole 'Ultimate Project' thing. Even now, he only appears in pre-recorded videos and radio broadcasts. He hasn't shown his face to the public in a long time, has he? What do you think of that?"

"Oh, that..." Chihiro said, lowering her head. "You shouldn't believe everything you read, you know..."

Amaya was right. For the longest time, the Prime Minister had only appeared in videos and audio recordings. He hadn't made any public appearances in over a year. The public events were handled by other members of the government, with no signs of the Prime Minister's presence. Because of that, many conspiracy theories had begun to spread. Could he have been killed? Maybe he had been kidnapped by terrorists? Some even speculated that he was an alien, and had returned to his home planet.

After a few months of complete silence, the government released a statement in which they said that it was a "matter of security". It was apparently too dangerous for the Prime Minister to be seen in public. That had happened around six months before the start of the killing game.

Since the release of that statement, nobody seemed to pay that much attention to the Prime Minister's absence, aside from conspiracy theorists like Amaya. The government refused to give more answers. Their big project, the "Ultimate Project", seemed to be progressing smoothly. The Kyouiku District, located in the east coast of Hokkaido, was built in less than three months. It was an impressive feat.

The "Ultimate Project" was met with mixed reactions. Some called it revolutionary and said that it would help the development of the country tremendously. Others were more sceptical, calling it a waste of resources. Finally, there were those who believed it was all a facade, a way to distract the people's attention from a larger mystery—the unexplained disappearance of the Prime Minister. In spite of the negativity, however, one thing was clear: everyone knew about the "Ultimate Project". It was the hottest topic of debate in the entire country and became well-known worldwide.

Personally, I refused to believe those crazy theories. Even after being kidnapped by Masuta, I still didn't want to believe them. They seemed way too outlandish to me. Everyone knew aliens weren't real, right?

"My father is okay," Chihiro said. "You can rest assured."

"The Ultimate titles are probably just a coincidence, anyway," I said.

"Oh! In that case, I have another idea!" Niko declared. "What if we our memories were erased?! It sure happened a lot in the games! Perhaps we've lost our memories of our entire high-school years!"

"That's absolutely brilliant!" Hayato exclaimed. "I mean-"

"Uh..." Chihiro interrupted. "Actually... that doesn't really work in real life. Of course, there are some methods of 'erasing' someone's memories, though not to that extent, I believe. That stuff doesn't exist outside of fiction."

"Still..." Amaya said. "They probably left us unconscious for a few hours after we got kidnapped. Maybe even days..."

"Yes, the time frame does seem weird..." I agreed.

"Wahahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "If nothing makes sense, then there is only one possible explanation!

"And what would it be?" Aiko asked.

Kaya pointed her finger upwards. "Coma! It means we are all in coma!"

"WH-WHAT?!" Hayato exclaimed. "That... That explains all of the death metaphors! I... I can't believe it! Kaya is totally right! She's a genius!"

"I sure am! Wahahahahahaha!"

 _There's no way they're being serious here, right?_ I thought.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that's quite right," I said. "That theory seems a bit too... outlandish."

"What's _your_ theory, then?!" Kaya replied. "Tell us, Mr. Abe! Tell us your theory, which may or may not surpass the one belonging to the great Kaya Suzuya! Well, I know it won't, but... I'll let you try."

_Let's see... Why are we here?_

I couldn't think of anything, no matter how hard I tried. There was nothing. Nothing.

_Argh! This is too hard!_

I hated to admit it, but Kaya's theory was the only plausible one. 

_How could this happen?!_ I thought in disbelief.

"See?!" she exclaimed. "We're all in a deep coma state! Wahahaha! I told you! I always come up with the most original and logical theories!"

After Kaya had fully explained her "theory," no one said a word for a good while. The atmosphere in the dining hall wasn't the best.

"I'm sure we'll find a way out," Yoko said, breaking the silence. "We just need to stay hopeful."

"That small pep talk isn't gonna do it," Jasmine snorted.

"You don't have to remind me..." she sighed. "I just... Oh! I see! Thank you so much, Jasmine! I've just come up with a great idea!"

"Huh?"

"We have to get our minds off this entire situation!" Yoko exclaimed. "So, I tried to think of something a group of friends would do under normal circumstances, and..."

"You don't mean..." Itaki gasped, his eyes shining. "We're going to...!"

"Yes! We should play Secret Santa! We have a shop here, right? I think this would make for a great distraction!"

I heard a few mumbles of agreement, and I didn't have anything against it.

"What's Secret Santa?" Onoji asked. "As far as I remember, we're not in December... It's nowhere near Christmas."

"Oh, how dumb can you be?!" Jasmine replied. "You-"

"Don't worry, Onoji," Yoko interrupted. "I'll explain. Secret Santa is a gift-exchanging game. Everyone must give a present to another random person of the group. The catch is that you won't know who is going to give _you_ a present until they do so. It's a nice little game that brings people together."

"Aw, Yoko..." Niko said. "That was such a sweet explanation..."

"Er... Thanks?" she replied, a little confused.

Onoji nodded his head. "I think I understand it now. Thanks, Yoko."

"You better give me a good present, Onoji!" Aiko exclaimed, patting him on the shoulder.

"Leave it to me!" he replied.

_It isn't certain that they are going to- You know what? I'll let them be..._

"Wh-When are we going to do it?" Itaki stuttered.

 _When did he become so interested in our conversation?_ I wondered.

"Wahahaha! Never!" Kaya exclaimed. "We can't play Secret Santa if we're in coma!"

Yoko giggled. "Well... What about two days from now?"

"It's fine with me," Itaki replied. "It's enough time to plan everything."

"P-Plan? Wh-What plan?" Denki asked, but, before he got an answer, Itaki had already left the room.

"...What's that bastard plotting?" Jasmine groaned.

"Forget about him," Amaya replied. "Either way, I think that was a great idea, Yoko. Now I have an excuse to investigate that weird machine further!"

"It sure is weird," Hayato agreed. "I received a black hole from it yesterday!"

 _Not this again..._ I thought.

"A b-black hole?!!" Niko shouted. "Isn't that dangerous?!"

"Don't worry," he replied. "It's imprisoned inside a glass ball."

"Oh, I see... Makes sense to me."

_Not you, too!_

"Hey, Niko," Hayato said. "I can show it to you! Come with me!"

"Hooray! I have never seen a black hole before, you know? This will be my first time!"

The two left the dining hall and headed to the dormitory.

"What was that about?" Amaya asked.

"Don't even try to understand it," I replied.

And with that, our meeting was over. We didn't really come to any conclusions regarding our situation, but we did decide to play Secret Santa two days later.

_I wonder who I'll get... I wouldn't want to give a present to someone like Katashi. Well, I suppose he won't even want to participate..._

With everything finally settled, we were free to do whatever we wanted with our free time.

* * *

I walked aimlessly around the campus. Wandering around, contemplating the world around me, was my own way of relaxing. It helped me get rid of unwanted thoughts.

I noticed someone sitting on the bench near the dormitory. It was Touka. She was, unsurprisingly, typing on her tablet.

"Hey, Touka," I said. "How are you doing?"

Touka looked at me and nodded her head before turning back to her tablet.

 _...Weird,_ I thought.

"Uh... May I ask you what you're typing?" I said, sitting on the bench, careful not to come too close to her.

The girl showed me what was she had written: _"No."_

"Weren't you writing something about us?" I asked, recalling the first time we'd met.

 _"I write about other people's personalities,"_ she typed.

"I see..." I mumbled awkwardly. "Um... C-Can I ask you why you do that?"

Once again, she wrote something on her tablet: _"Gambling."_

"Oh... You do that so that you can catch cheaters or something along those lines?"

She thought for a bit before typing an answer: _"It's just a habit I developed."_

"Interesting..." I replied, averting my eyes.

We sat there on the bench for a while. Touka never took her eyes off her tablet. She didn't seem too bothered by the awkward silence between us. On the other hand, I was feeling really uncomfortable.

"So..." I said, looking for something to talk about.

"You want to talk about your problem, don't you?"

I turned my attention to Touka, surprised. She had finally spoken up.

"Wh-What do you mean?" I asked.

"I can see it in your face," she said. "You want to talk about your unresolved problem."

 _Unresolved... problem?_ I thought, dazzled.

"Wh-What...? H-How?!" I gasped.

"You saw me writing about it back at the temple," she said. "It was when we first met here."

I thought for a few moments before saying anything in response.

"Okay... I... I do have what you may call an unresolved problem," I admitted. "I just don't really want to talk about it..."

"You don't have to tell me that," she replied. "I already know it."

"Right..."

"And you _do_ want to talk about it," she stated. "You're just pretending you don't. I must say, that's a very interesting character trait. In fact, I should note that."

She grabbed her tablet and went back to typing.

"H-How much do you know?" I asked.

"Since we haven't interacted much, not a lot," she replied. "However, I do know a few details. For instance, I know it's very small in the grand scheme of things, but you like to think of it as a huge issue that, unfortunately, cannot be resolved due to our current circumstances."

I turned my head towards her, somewhat annoyed. "What do you mean? It's an actual issue. You shouldn't go around saying that other people's problems are insignificant!"

"My apologies," she said. "I should have expected that reaction from you. However, Daichi Abe, I must address that people with bigger problems do exist in this rotten world of ours. Don't neglect them."

I was at a loss for words. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to think. As I reflected about what she had said, Touka continued making notes on her tablet. To me, she seemed like a computer database. She knew all about other people's matters, habits, personalities and emotions, but didn't appear to have any sort of formed opinion on them. On the contrary—she didn't show any emotion whatsoever.

"I know you want to talk to someone about it, Daichi Abe," Touka said. "However, you are not prepared. At least, you don't consider yourself prepared."

_What's the deal with this girl?!_

"Fine, I get it!" I shouted. "You want to know about it, don't you?!"

"I think I know everything I need," she replied, glancing at her notes. "I can figure out everything else by myself."

I had lost control. If Masuta's game became reality... If the killing game had truly begun... If I... If I were to die in that miserable place... I wouldn't have any chance to talk to _her_ again...

"Mum..." I sighed.

"So it's a family issue," she concluded.

"Yes..."

Touka glanced at me. "And I suppose it has something to do with your talent."

"H-How do you...?"

"It was just a guess," she said. "Well, it's not a guess anymore, I suppose."

"W-Was it that obvious?!"

"Yes," she answered bluntly.

I was disappointed in myself. How could I have let her figure this out so easily?

 _Well, I suppose I'll have to tell her now,_ I thought. _I have to tell her... why I must survive this killing game._


	13. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Daily Life - Part IV

"Don't work yourself too hard, Daichi! Take it slowly."

"I'm fine, mum. Don't worry!"

When I was around eight years old, I would spend hours drawing alone in my room. People used to say I was really good at it. It's not that I didn't have other interests but... drawing always had a special place in my heart.

Ever since I was a small child, the beauty of animation amazed me. How did those characters move on their own? How did these simple drawings come to life? I would ask my mum to bring me to the cinema every so often, and she always seemed delighted to do so.

The older I got, the more time I spent honing my skills as an animator...

And, eventually, I began to receive awards for my works. I would submit them for every drawing competition I came across. It felt as if... I was destined to do that. If I wanted to become somebody, I *had* to do that. At school, thankfully, I was always able to pass without much issue. My grades were good, yes, but nothing to write home about. I had a few friends, but I wasn't that close to any of them. However, that didn't bother me. I didn't need them.

All I needed... was to keep drawing. That was the only thing I had to do... 

...Because it was something only I could do.

But there was one person who didn't approve of that attitude...

"Daichi, stop it right now!" my mum would yell at me.

I didn't know what made her so angry. I knew it was hard being a single mother, but I'd never disappointed her. In fact, I'd always tried my hardest to make things better for the two of us... Then, why did she seem so annoyed that I wanted to be an animator?

"I'm fine, mum. There's no need to worry."

But she kept telling me to stop drawing. I couldn't believe it. Why was my own mother telling me not to pursue the career of my dreams? Nevertheless, I continued drawing, not giving any attention to what she was saying.

However, one day...

"Daichi, from now on, you are prohibited from drawing, animating or anything of the sort," my mum declared. "If I catch you disobeying me, I will... be extremely disappointed in you."

I tried to argue, telling her it was unfair, but she refused to give in. She seemed to have put a lot of thought into the matter, and had come mentally prepared. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to make me stop drawing. She was my mum, after all. And that preparation paid off...

"I... promise."

After that incident, I didn't spend any more afternoons drawing in my room, with the curtains closed. 

However, I didn't like that lifestyle. Sure, it was fun spending more time with friends, but that wasn't enough. I tried to take up other hobbies, but none of them appealed to me.

My life had just... become boring. If I couldn't do what I wanted... then how could I call that life mine?

There was nothing that came even close to that excitement of finishing a drawing you'd been working on for weeks. None of the satisfaction of seeing your creation come to life... It had all vanished.

And thus... I came up with a plan. One day, I approached my mother and told her that I had made a new friend called "Tobias" and that I was going to visit him that Friday. That was obviously a lie, but she appeared to buy it. She smiled. Perhaps she was happy that now I was getting along with other people.

Either way, that Friday, I went to the park near my school. I sat underneath a tree, hidden thanks to some bushes. I took out a notebook... and I broke my promise.

That day, I arrived home late. To my surprise—and relief —my mum wasn't angry. On the contrary... She looked happy. We were both... happy.

"So, how's Tobias like?" she asked .

"He's... tall," I replied. "Um... Mum..."

"What is it, dear?"

"I think I'll dye my hair."

She was caught off guard by that. "Your natural light-brown hair is so cute, though! Why would you want to change it?"

"I dunno... I just... feel like it."

* * *

Every Friday, I would go to that same park . Eventually, I started bringing all of my drawing equipment there. My bag became quite heavy... Thankfully, my mum didn't ask anything about it. She only cared about knowing more about this new "friend" of mine. Tobias... We'd talk about "him" every night.

When I finally decided to post something on the internet, I had to choose a new name for myself. 

"What about... Arsen? Yeah, that sounds cool..."

My animations ended up becoming really popular and "Arsen" gained loads of attention. I still remember the first comment I'd ever gotten:

_"I love it so much, Arsen-kun! If you keep this up, people will begin to call you the Ultimate Animator!"_

Ultimate Animator... That sounded hyperbolic. No one would call me that. But still... It made me happy.

As the years went by, I got better and better. And T obias wasn't just a random tall boy anymore—he had become a confident and rebellious young man, as well as a loyal and trustworthy friend.

That... That was my life.

But... Something was bothering me. My mum... She seemed happy. Happier than ever before. However... Was that happiness genuine? Did that happiness... originate from my lies? If yes... then...

* * *

One fateful day, I received a letter from the government. I had been selected to be a part of the "Ultimate Project" as the Ultimate Animator. 

"Ultimate Animator..."

That title... It couldn't be a coincidence. That was... fate.

I never showed my mum that letter.

That day, I made sure to wake up before she did, and I called a taxi cab, which would take me to the airport. I didn't remember anything after that, but I assumed my mum still didn't know where I was. And knowing the nature of that "killing game"... I doubted she ever would.

* * *

I sighed. "With this killing game... I might not be able to talk to her ever again. I... lied to her. I lied... For the longest time, I've been wanting to talk to her again... and apologise. But that letter came before I could do so... And I didn't even say goodbye before I left..."

I felt tears forming on my eyes, but I held them back.

"Interesting," Touka said. "It looks like I got almost everything right."

She showed me some more of what she had written about me:

_...has problems with family, doesn't have that many friends, uses emo usernames on the internet..._

"Hey!" I shouted. " _Arsen_ isn't an emo name! It's cool! It comes from the character _Arsène Lupin,_ created by Maurice Leblanc. He's a gentleman thief that represents rebellion and..."

I paused.

"Okay..." I sighed. "I admit, I was kind of an emo back then..."

"That doesn't matter," Touka replied. "What matters is the fact that you now seem rather... calm."

 _I suppose that's the case..._ I thought;

"Yeah... It's way better now... Having shared it with someone... Thank you, Touka."

"No problem. I have noticed a pattern that indicates that most people feel stressed when they don't have anyone to share their feelings with."

 _Isn't that common knowledge?_ I thought.

"I see..." I said. "You do know a lot about other people's emotions, don't you?"

"Yes," she replied, turning her head towards me.

I tried my best to avoid making eye-contact. "Cool... What you're doing is... cool."

That was the first time I got any sort of notable reaction from Touka _—_ she was surprised.

"Do you... Do you think that doing this is _cool_?" she asked, struggling to let those words out of her mouth.

"Uh... yes..." I said, trying to hide the fact that I was blushing. "I mean... Trying to understand other people better... Helping them solve their problems... It's really kind of you."

"Th-Thank you, Daichi Abe," she said, turning back to her former emotionless self.

I sighed again. "I'm glad you listened to my dumb life story... I've really been in need of a psychologist, you know..."

"I'm _not_ a psychologist."

_...What?_

I felt a slight bit of anger in Touka's voice. Once I finally looked at her, I noticed she was giving me a death-threateningly cold stare. Had I said something wrong?

Suddenly, she stood up. "Goodbye, Daichi Abe."

Before I had time to ask anything, Touka had already left.

_...What just happened?_

Touka had been very calm ever since I met her. What in the world made her so angry all of a sudden? I knew there had to be much more to her character than her cold and emotionless exterior. And for some reason... I felt like I could trust her. I definitely had to talk to her again.

* * *

It was around 5 pm when Masuta's voice emanated from a hidden speaker.

_"Attention! All participants must head to the shop right now! You have five minutes to arrive there! If you don't show up... Well, you know the drill by now. We'll be waiting for you, my friends!"_

_The... shop?_ I wondered.

I was expecting him to make an announcement at the gym, or maybe even at the video room. Why the shop? What was the point in making us go there?

_Wait... did Masuta say "we"?_

He most certainly did. Was he not alone? Was someone working with him?

_A... traitor?_

I kept coming up with questions like those as I made my way to the shop. A few people were already there when I arrived.

"Yo, Daichi," Hayato said. "What're you thinking about? You look distant."

I gasped. "H-Huh? Uh... Nothing..."

Chihiro crossed her arms. "Still... I'm a bit worried..."

"And why is that?" Onoji asked. "I mean, there's no way this situation can get any worse."

"D-Don't say that!" Denki exclaimed. "That p-phrase... It's dangerous!"

Onoji seemed confused. "How can a simple sentence like that be dangerous? Aiko, did you understand what Denki said?"

"Well, yes..." Aiko replied, smiling. "If you want to, I can teach you about some common expressions in our next class!"

"That would be nice," Onoji said. "Thank you, Aiko."

"No problem!"

The two kept talking about their classes, but I didn't really bother listening.

"Chihiro," I said, turning to the girl in question. "You were going to say something, right?"

"O-Oh!" Chihiro exclaimed. "Th-That..."

I raised an eyebrow. "May I ask you what's _that_?"

"S-Sure," she stuttered, taking a few steps towards me.

Then, she whispered to my ear. "You... You have played _Danganronpa_ , correct?"

"Yes, I have, indeed. What about it?"

She took a deep breath before answering, "Well... I was just thinking... Don't you remember what they did in the games to force people to... kill each other?"

"You mean forcing them to participate in the killing game?" I asked.

"No..." she said. "Wait... Technically speaking, that's not wrong... So... Er... Yes? Well yes, but actually no."

 _I don't get it..._ I thought.

"Um... Can you say it again, please?"

"I was talking about the _motives_ ," Chihiro said. "You noticed it, too, right? Masuta hasn't given us a motive... yet."

_Truth be told, I hadn't noticed that..._

"I suppose you are correct," I said. "Maybe he has a reason for that."

She nodded. "Exactly. He seems to be trying to parallel the original games in almost every detail. And if that's the case... Why would he leave out such an important aspect?"

"Perhaps he has already given us a motive... Or at least, maybe he gave _someone_ a motive..." I mumbled.

 _No, that can't be it,_ I thought. _...Right?_

I shook my head. "Anyway, thanks a lot, Chihiro. That completely slipped my mind. I'm glad you brought it up."

"R-Really...?" she said, blushing. "I-I'm very thankful I was of good use to you. I'm glad I wasn't useless-"

"Hey, don't say that," I interrupted. "You're an important member of the group and just as vital as me or anyone else."

She averted her eyes. "D-Do you think so? I... I guess I should... thank you?"

Our conversation was interrupted by Saeka's voice. "It seems as if most of us have arrived."

I looked around. Sure enough, everyone was there. Even _him_...

"Wow, Katashi!" Hayato exclaimed. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "Maybe someone brainwashed him! Heck, maybe they brainwashed us all!"

"Oh, shut up!" Jasmine groaned. "We don't have time for your useless mumbo-jumbo."

While Kaya and Jasmine were arguing about the former's "theories", Yoko approached Katashi.

"So... have you finally decided to be friends with us?" Yoko said playfully.

 _Is she being serious here?_ I thought.

"I doubt that's the case..." I muttered.

Yoko crossed her arms. "Hey! I'm sure Katashi has changed! Right, Katashi?"

Katashi looked away from us and sighed. "Seriously, how annoying can you guys be? Abe is right. Even if you put a gun to my head, I won't pretend to be your friend. Not in a million years. Such stupidity... If you really need to know, I'm here because of Kikai's announcement."

"Oh..." Yoko sighed, with a disappointed look on her face. "Guess I was just being too hopeful..."

 _Yoko is definitely a good person_ , I thought. _However, there's a limit to how naive one can be. And it seems like she crosses that limit really often... I guess she-_

My thoughts were interrupted by the loud sound of the shop door being slammed open.

"Kiyaaaaaaahhh!" Niko screamed.

Masuta walked confidently into the room. To everyone's surprise, there was someone behind him. Someone was _following_ him.

_What...?! No way...!_

"Itaki...?" Chihiro said, dazzled.

Itaki Shimamoto, the Ultimate Businessman, was the person following Masuta. And he appeared to be doing so out of his own free will.

"Itaki!" I shouted. "What the heck are you doing?!"

Itaki glanced at me. "Quiet."

He followed Masuta to the centre of the shop, where everyone could see them.

"What are you up to, you greedy bastard?!" Jasmine yelled. "Don't tell me that you've befriended the... other bastard!"

Masuta laughed. "Of course, he did! We're great friends now! Riiiiiight, Shimamoto-kun~?"

Everyone looked at Itaki. He didn't budge an inch.

"I'm sorry to shatter your expectations," Itaki said, "but I assure you that I'm not 'friends' with our host, Masuta. We are just business partners. That's all."

Denki tilted his head, confused. "Business... partners?"

Itaki nodded. "That's right."

Nobody seemed to understand what Itaki was saying.

"How do you plan to make money out of this?" Amaya asked. "I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I don't have a single penny with me."

Itaki pointed to the "present machine" in the back of the shop. "Initially, I was planning to buy that machine over there. However, Masuta wasn't interested in selling it."

"My machines are like my children!" Masuta exclaimed. "I'd never let go of them!"

Ignoring him, Itaki continued, "And so, I had an idea, inspired by Yoko's Secret Santa."

"Wh-What is this... idea?" Denki asked. "It isn't anything... d-dangerous, is it?"

Itaki shook his head. "No, it's not. Well, not for me, at least..."

"What are you trying to say?" Saeka asked.

Itaki smiled. "It might be dangerous... for your wallets."

That was a side of Itaki we hadn't seen yet. He was almost a different person altogether. He seemed more relaxed and carefree than before, though his smile clearly didn't indicate "good intentions".

He cleared his throat. "Ahem! From now on, you will not only be able to buy presents from Masuta's machine, but also from me. I'm opening my own store."

_...What?_

"Your own... store?" I asked.

"I recall the process of opening a store is quite long," Amaya said. "How did you manage to do it so fast?"

"Also, how are you going to open a store... _here_?" Onoji added.

Masuta raised his hand. "I gave him authorisation! After all, I'm the one that makes the rules here! And besides, Shimamoto-kun was really nice to me~!"

"Could you please stop talking about me like that, Masuta?" Itaki replied. "It might... hurt my business' image."

"Fine... I'll do anything for you, my friend!"

Saeka glared at Masuta. "Is it really that easy to convince you to do something?"

Masuta grinned. "Well... I will do anything to satisfy the desires of my dearest of friends! As long as it doesn't go against the rules, that is."

 _He seems... surprisingly easy to manipulate_ , I thought.

Amaya suddenly raised her hand.

"Yes, Amaya?" Itaki said. "I suppose you have a question."

"That is correct," she replied, taking a pencil and a notebook out of her pocket. "I'd like to ask for a few details about your new store! For example... Why should we buy from you? I mean, we already have a shop. Why would we need another one?"

"Interesting question," he replied. "Well, if you buy a present from my store, you can rest assured that I'll find the perfect item for whoever it's for."

Aiko raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"It's simple, really. Everyone's likes and dislikes are listed in the 'friends' tab in the e-Handbook."

"Oh! I have a question, too!" Niko exclaimed. "What's the name of the store? Every store has to have a cool name!"

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "What about 'Store'! It's a short, but effective name! Am I not brilliant for coming up with this masterpiece of a name?! Don't you agree, best friend Saeka~?"

"No," Saeka replied.

Itaki thought for a few seconds before replying, "Regarding your question, Niko... The store's name will be 'Itaki'."

"Huh?" Hayato said. "But that's _your_ name."

"Yes," Itaki replied. "And, from now on, it is also the name of the store."

_Such creativity astounds me..._

"For a second, imagine that you're going to buy a present from my store," Itaki said. "What would you say?"

"What...?" Yoko asked. "I don't follow..."

"You'd say _'I'm going to buy a present from Itaki'_ , of course. Therefore, if I name my store _Itaki_ , it'd mean that, every time you say that phrase, you'll be letting other people know about the store for me. It's easy and, most importantly, _free_ advertising."

_How does that- I don't even know how to begin to question that._

"Lemme get this straight," Hayato said, scratching his head. "You're going to open a store. That much I can grasp. But... what are we going to use to buy stuff from you? I don't think anyone has money with them."

"Don't worry," Itaki replied. "I have already taken that into account. I'll gladly accept K-Coins as payment."

Hayato sighed. "That isn't much better for me..."

"There's a function in your e-Handbooks that allow you to transfer your K-C to your friends," Masuta explained.

"Still..." Chihiro said. "I'm sorry to ask this, but... why exactly are you going to open a store here?"

"She's right," Amaya said. "You better have a good reason for this. Why would those K-Coins be of any use to you?"

"To make money," Itaki replied, deadpan.

_Well... I can't say I wasn't expecting it. Still... I can't say I understand his logic..._

"Bastard..." Jasmine muttered.

"I-Isn't it d-dangerous...?" Denki stuttered. "Th-They say that m-money is the root of all e-evil."

"I don't think you should worry about it too much," Onoji said. "He just... likes money..."

Itaki grinned. "Well, at least someone here gets me. Would you like to talk later, Onoji? I could get you a discount."

Onoji flinched, taken by surprise. "W-Well..."

"H-Hey!" Aiko interrupted. "Onoji! You can't! We have classes today, don't you remember? You can hang out with Itaki afterwards."

Onoji sighed in relief. "Thank God... I-I mean, thank you for reminding me, Aiko."

At that moment, Yoko walked to the centre of the shop, where Itaki and Masuta were standing.

"Hey, guys!" she called for attention. "Let's all thank Itaki for cooperating!"

"Cooperating...?" I asked.

"H-How can you call _that_ cooperating?!" Hayato said.

"That guy's doing the opposite of cooperating..." Jasmine muttered.

"The great Kaya Suzuya shall not give her oh-so-desired 'thanks' to scum like him!" Kaya exclaimed.

"Calm down, everyone," Aiko said. "I'm positive that Yoko has something in mind."

Yoko smiled. "Thank you. Well, then let me explain! I think it's great that we now have an easier method to find a present for our secret friends, don't you think?"

"I guess..." I said.

 _That shouldn't be our biggest concern right now,_ I thought.

"How are the Secret Santa preparations going, anyway?" Aiko asked. "I'd love to help."

"Thanks, Aiko, but I think I can handle it myself," Yoko replied. "The only thing I need is a piece of paper and a pen... It's really hard to find anything in that warehouse, you know?"

"Don't worry," Amaya said. "I've got you covered! You can have a piece of paper from my notebook. And, luckily, I have my trusty pen with me as well! Catch!"

Amaya tossed those items over to Yoko. "Wow, thanks, Amaya! See? If we cooperate, we can solve any problem!"

"Bullshit," a voice muttered.

Everyone looked to where the voice had come from. By that point, it was obvious who it belonged to.

_Why does he always have to ruin the mood?_

"Katashi!" Jasmine exclaimed. "The edgelord is saying bad words again!?"

"Look who's talking..." Saeka muttered. Thankfully, Jasmine didn't hear it.

Katashi raised his head. "Huh? Are you referring to me? That can't be... Who would want to talk to lil' old me? The weird and untrustworthy guy that hates all of you..."

He spoke those last few lines in a clearly sarcastic tone.

"You don't have to describe yourself to everyone," I replied. "We already know you."

"Yes!" Kaya said in agreement. "We already know you're a big bad bully!"

Yoko made her way to the corner where he was standing. "Anyway... Would you care to explain your reasons for disagreeing with me? If we talk, I'm sure we can reach a consensus!"

Katashi seemed a little uncomfortable with her coming close to him.

"That's exactly why I don't agree with you," he said, avoiding eye-contact. "That blind optimism... Ugh... It disgusts me..."

"Hey!" Aiko shouted. "Don't be so rude to her!"

However, despite Katashi's cruel words, Yoko didn't seem upset. In fact, she was giggling.

"You think so?" she said. "Well, I'll be sure to change that before we get out of here!"

Katashi turned around. "Tch. Try as much as you want. There are some things that can never be changed."

And with that, he left us.

"I-I don't like him..." Niko mumbled.

"Me neither..." Hayato added.

Itaki clapped his hands. "Well, now with that bother out of the way... It was delightful hearing your honest thoughts regarding my store. It'll open by tomorrow morning. Good luck with preparing the Secret Santa."

"Okay!" Yoko replied, smiling.

He nodded. "Good... I now shall declare this meeting over-"

"Hold on!" Masuta interrupted. "...What's this Secret Santa you're talking about? I'd love to join in!"

"No," Saeka replied, not wasting a single second.

Amaya crossed her arms. "You may leave now, Masuta."

"F-Fine..." he said, sobbing.

That was the end of Itaki's announcement. I wasn't really sure what to make of it, aside from the fact that there was something seriously wrong with that guy. And that Katashi was still the same as ever...

_Well, what should I do now?_

* * *

Once again, I tried to observe the stars in the night sky. However, just like before, I couldn't see any.

_Maybe this campus is located in a really populated area? Maybe that's why I can't see any stars... However, if that's the case, how come the police haven't arrived yet?_

"I wonder what this means..." I sighed.

"And you guys call _me_ an outcast?" a voice called me from behind. "At least, I don't stare at nothing for hours, rambling about stars or whatever it is that's peaking your interest."

"Huh?" I turned around. Katashi was walking out of the dormitory, just like the day before. When he noticed me staring at him, he looked away.

"What're you looking at?" he muttered. "I just made a remark about your... interesting habit. You may go on with your life... while it lasts, that is. We may die at any moment, you know?"

_This guy..._

"What do you want?" I inquired.

"Gee, nothing," he replied, grinning. "Either way, I'm out."

Keeping his word, Katashi left me and entered the main building.

_Argh...!_

I followed him, running as fast as I could.

"Leave me alone," he frowned. "You're really-"

"Annoying, I know."

He shook his head. "Seriously. I'm leaving."

I put my hand on his shoulder.

"I won't let you leave," I said. That seemed to catch him by surprise. "At least, not until you answer a question."

"Question?" he asked. "What's gotten into you today, Abe? You know very well that I'm not going to answer it."

 _We'll see about that,_ I thought.

"Why do you only explore the school at night?" I asked.

"Because I want to," he replied. Before I got any more words out of him, he had already left. It was useless to follow him.

_His behaviour is clearly suspicious... He must have a reason as to why he only shows up at night..._

Why did I want to know more about Katashi? I honestly didn't know. Perhaps it was because... I wanted to help him? No, that couldn't be it. I was just... curious.

_I bet that someone knows the answer to this mystery... Touka. Yes, I'm going to ask her tomorrow..._

I headed to my room. The third day trapped in that place had finally ended. Everything seemed brighter than ever... or so I thought.


	14. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Daily Life - Part V

The same announcement. The same morning routine. The same giant stone wall. Everything had become so familiar to me, despite the little time I had spent trapped in that place. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to deal with that for long.

Everyone aside from Masuta and Katashi was gathered in the dining hall, as usual.

"All right," Yoko said. "I have almost everything prepared for our Secret Santa!"

The dining hall itself, however, looked a bit different. The table had been moved, creating a bigger gap between it and the wall.

"That's great and all, but..." Amaya said.

"We still haven't found anything truly useful, have we?" Onoji said.

"Don't worry about it," Aiko replied. "For now, the only thing that should be on our minds is the present we're going to get for our secret friend!"

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "Ms. Mamoru is right! We have nothing to worry about, since Kaya Suzuya and her great mind are here! What could possibly go wrong?!"

"Everything..." Saeka muttered.

Kaya nodded her head. "Exactly, best friend Saeka! Everything _could_ go wrong, but it won't! It won't go wrong because I, the great Kaya Suzuya, am here! Wahahaha!"

Saeka muttered something I couldn't understand.

"Y-Yes..." Denki said, almost as inaudible as Saeka. "If... If Masuta tries to hurt anyone, I am here to help!"

 _What is he going to do about it?_ I wondered. _The rules prevent him from attacking Masuta..._

"Enough with the pep talk," Jasmine said. "Let's eat! I'm starving..."

I grabbed the plate in front of me.

_A sandwich..._

It looked just like a simple sandwich, but its taste... It was completely out of this world.

"Yummy!" Niko exclaimed.

"This is almost worth getting kidnapped," Hayato said, his mouth full.

 _How can she even cook this?!_ I thought _._

"The food is great, as always," Onoji said. "Thank you, Aiko. We wouldn't be here without you."

Aiko blushed. "Nah, it was nothing..."

"What's your recipe?!" Amaya questioned, jumping from her seat, notebook in hand.

"I-It's just a sandwich..." Aiko said. "Everyone knows how to make that..."

Itaki raised his hand. "Would you consider making a deal with me? We can make a lot of money out of your food. I can sense your potential."

"Itaki... I don't think this is the right time for that," Yoko said. "Oh well... Ah... I wish Katashi was here with us..."

"Why do you keep bringing up that asshole?" Jasmine asked. "If he wanted to be here, he would've come."

"The simple thought of being around other people and socialising seems unpleasant to him," Saeka said.

Yoko sighed. "I know that... But he's still one of us! It's not like he's a bad guy..."

"Then... Can I... Can I be one of you, too?" 

A voice we echoed in the dining hall, as Masuta slowly entered our sight. His bombastic attitude had disappeared.

"Masuta?" Chihiro asked. "...Is that you?"

"Maybe..." Masuta sighed. "I'm just... sad..."

Niko raised an eyebrow. "Sad...?"

"Y-You can't feel sadness!" Hayato exclaimed.

"Of course I can!" Masuta snapped. "What do you think I am? A robot?! I have feelings as well, you know! And you've hurt those feelings countless times over the course of these last few days..."

Jasmine frowned. "Do we look like we care? Denki, dispose of him. Quickly."

"Y-Yes, Jasmine," Denki responded, standing up from his chair.

"W-WAIT!" Masuta shouted as Denki approached him. "Th-The rules...!"

Denki sighed. "Oh, y-yeah... The rules..."

Masuta let out a sigh of relief. "I-I was just wondering if I could replace Katashi as the 15th member of... whatever you call your group. Of course, I'd need to be accepted by you, so-"

"No," Saeka replied before Masuta could even finish his sentence.

"Yeah... no," Amaya added. "Not in a million years."

"No way in hell I'd let a big bad bully like you anywhere near my dear best friend Saeka!" Kaya exclaimed.

Masuta sighed once again. "Fine... Fine... Still, I have another thing I'd like to talk about..."

"And what would that be?" Amaya asked.

_*Bam!*_

Suddenly, Masuta slammed his fist on the dining hall table. "I'm bored for God's sake! Just kill each other already! Don't you guys want to leave this place?!"

And with that, he left the dining hall.

 _He's getting impatient..._ I thought.

"Don't mind him," Yoko said.

"Yes, he's just an unwanted bother," Onoji commented. "It's nothing we can't deal with."

"Everything is going to be aaaaaaaaaaaall right!" Aiko declared, giving a thumbs up.

 _Is that some kind of catchphrase?_ I wondered.

After that conversation, everyone went back to eating Aiko's delicious food.

That day, we didn't leave the dining hall immediately after we finished eating breakfast. Hayato, Niko and Denki kept talking about birds. Kaya was making an in-depth explanation of her "coma theory" to Saeka. Aiko and Onoji were discussing the last "class" they'd had. Yoko and Jasmine were chatting about some popular TV series. Amaya was trying to make Touka say something about herself. Everyone seemed... happy.

"Say, Daichi," Itaki approached me. "Don't you think this is great? Everything seems so peaceful and full of joy."

 _Did Itaki just say something... friendly?_ I thought, surprised by his attitude.

"Yeah..." I agreed. "This is better than what I'd expected."

"If this keeps going without any problems, who knows how much money I'll be able to get out of those people?" he wondered.

_Nevermind, it's still Itaki._

"Oi, Daichi!" Amaya called me. "Come over here!"

_Amaya...?_

I walked to where she was. Touka was by her side, avoiding eye contact. I could read the last sentence she had written on her tablet: _Leave me alone._

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's Touka!" Amaya replied, full of excitement. "She won't talk!"

"Yes... And?"

"And I want to know more about her! She just stands in a corner and types stuff on her tablet! C'mon, she's by far the most interesting person here!"

 _What about me...?_ I thought _. Nah, who am I kidding..._

Amaya sighed. "Anyway, I saw you two talking yesterday, and-"

"You what?!" I exclaimed, interrupting her. "Did you overhear our conversation?!"

 _Did she hear me talking about my mum?!_ I thought. _If everyone found out about that, what would I do?!_

Amaya shrugged. "Unfortunately, no... You were too far away, and I couldn't risk getting too close to you."

_Does she know that eavesdropping is *not* cool at all?!_

"However, one thing I did notice was the fact that she was talking to you," she said. 

"What about it...?"

Catching me by surprise, Amaya grabbed my hand. "Could please make her talk to me?! What's your secret?!"

"H-Hold on!" I panicked. "I-I can't just force a person to talk!"

"Of course, you can!" she replied. "You did it yesterday, so I'm sure you can do it again!"

_That's not how things work!_

"B-But...!" I stuttered.

"It's alright, Daichi Abe." 

Touka had spoken up, surprising both of us.

Amaya's eyes widened. "You... You spoke! Touka, you really spoke!"

"...Yes," Touka replied. "Now, could you please... calm down?"

"Thank you, Daichi!" Amaya exclaimed, shaking my hand. "Oh, and don't let her run away! I'll get some tea! Tea is the best drink for interviews!"

Without wasting a single second, Amaya ran to the kitchen.

"Um... Thanks, Touka," I said. "Amaya can be... quite something."

"I know that already," Touka replied.

_Of course she does..._

I scratched my head. "A-Anyway, Touka... I've been eager to-"

"Ask something?" she completed my sentence. If it were anyone else, that'd come as playful. However, Touka was never anything but serious.

"Y-Yeah..." I said. "It's about Katashi..."

"Let me guess..." she said. "You think he's up to something because he's only out of his bedroom at night. Is that correct?"

I flinched. "That... That is correct... I shouldn't have expected any less from you."

"I know you didn't," she replied. 

_Okay, you can stop that now,_ I thought.

"Regarding Katashi Akeru..." Touka continued, "he doesn't appear to be that sociable..."

_Just like you, you say?_

"Yes, Daichi Abe, just like me," she replied.

I jumped back, startled. _When will you stop reading my mind?!_

"Either way, because of that aspect of his, Katashi only explores the school at night," she explained. "It's the best time for him. After all, most people are asleep during night-time."

_So simple... How did I not realise that?!_

"Now, may I add one more thing?" she said. "I wouldn't mess with Katashi if I were you. He's... He's currently not that good of a person."

 _I wouldn't want to mess with him to begin with,_ I thought.

"Don't worry," I said. "I was just curious. And, either way, he can't be _that_ bad..."

"Just curious, huh?" she replied. "We'll see about that... Nonetheless, it seems as if you didn't understand what I said."

_I mean, I don't understand a lot of the things you've said to me..._

"I didn't?" I asked.

"No..." she replied. "Well, let me say it again. I said that Katashi was _currently_ not a good person. Or perhaps... That's just our perception of him?"

_Yeah, I don't get it._

Touka looked at me, deadly serious. "Listen, Daichi Abe. Everything that a person does... Their actions, their words, their behaviour... Everything. It all has a reason. It comes from somewhere, no matter how unlikely it may seem."

"So you're saying that Katashi's acting the way he is because of his life prior to being trapped here?" I asked.

"Of course. Why wouldn't that be the case? And it's not just him. You, me... Everyone is acting the way they are because of their past experiences. One's experiences shape them."

 _Touka did say that my life story confirmed her deductions..._ I thought _. And she was only able to deduce that because of my behaviour. The question is... Why exactly does she want to "understand" everyone? It can't be just because of gambling, right?_

"You look deep in thought," Touka said, breaking my line of thought.

"Uh... N-No..." I stuttered. "A-Anyway, I g-guess I'll leave now... I really don't want to be here when Amaya comes back..."

"Really? Is that it?" Touka asked, glaring at me.

"Y-Yeah..." I said, averting my eyes.

I left that place as soon as I could. Touka certainly seemed friendly and reliable, but... there was no denying she could be incredibly scary...

 _I don't even want to imagine her angry,_ I thought. _That'd be terrifying... Well, it seems like I have some free time now. What should I do..._

* * *

I was walking in the outside section of the campus when I noticed someone lying on the ground, facing upwards.

"Hayato...?" I said, getting close to him.

 _What's he doing?_ I wondered.

"Hey," I insisted, trying to get him to notice me.

His eyes widened. "Oh! Hi, there, Daichi! Come, lie down next to me!"

_...What?_

"Just do it! Don't ask!"

I did as Hayato said. That day, the sky was quite beautiful—an immense sea of blue, mixed in with bright-white clouds.

"I love watching the clouds in the sky, you know," he said. "It takes me home..."

"Yes, I suppose they're pretty..." I replied.

For a few brief moments, we gazed at the clouds, without saying a single word.

 _This is a bit silly..._ I thought. _Though it is relaxing, as well..._

"Look!" he exclaimed, pointing to one of the clouds.

"What is it?"

"That's a dog, isn't it?"

"No, that's a cat."

Round head... Pointed ears... Even a moustache... Yes, that was most certainly a cat.

"How is that a cat?!" Hayato gasped. "That's the nose of a dog!"

"Everything else points to it being a cat, though," I replied. "What kind of dog has a moustache?"

"A Schnauzer...?"

 _Damn, he has a point..._ I thought.

"Yeah, but that definitely doesn't look like a Schnauzer," I said.

Hayato turned his head toward me. "Are you a cat person, Daichi?"

I thought for a few moments before replying. "Well, I have never owned a pet, so I can't really say for sure, but... Yes, I think I am. Cats are fascinating... They're really smart, and really curious. They're independent, free to do whatever they feel like. Dogs, on the other hand, are kinda boring... They just follow orders..."

"Well, you haven't seen my dog, then," Hayato replied.

"You have a dog?"

He giggled. "Yeah. His name is Sam. He's always causing trouble, you know. And he never listens to what I say! But he's a good boy."

"I see..." I replied.

"Nevertheless, you're still somewhat right, Daichi," he said. "Dogs are really loyal, you know? I love that aspect of them... They're always there to support you when you need them."

 _Well, cats do that, too,_ I thought, _though I guess it's more apparent with dogs..._

Hayato pointed his finger to another cloud. "What about... that one! What do you think it is, Daichi?"

"It's just a circle to me..." I replied.

He laughed. "Ha! You gotta be more creative than that, Daichi!"

"What do you think it looks like, then?" I asked.

He thought for a few moments before replying, "um... a waffle! Yeah, that looks like a waffle!"

 _A waffle...?_ I thought. _Now that he mentioned it, it does kinda look like a waffle... And now I'm getting hungry..._

"I love waffles, you know," he said. "I eat them every day during breakfast. Well, I _used_ to eat them every day... What about you, Daichi?"

"I just usually eat a sandwich with some coffee," I replied. "Lots of coffee."

"Oh, I love coffee, too! Though my doctor said I shouldn't drink it..."

 _Why is that?_ I wondered. _Does he have some sort of health problem concerning caffeine?_

"Coffee is the best thing ever..." he mumbled. "Oh, I'd love it if we found some here..."

"Yes, that'd be great..."

Hayato and I stared at the sky for a few more minutes, as all of my worries washed away.

 _I could spend hours doing this..._ I thought.

"Daichi..." he said. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure," I replied.

"You promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I promise."

Hayato looked at me. "If I Masuta weren't here... and we didn't have to worry about what's happening in the outside world... I wouldn't mind living here."

It took me a few moments to process what he had just said.

"I know it's not a good thought..." he said. "But if it weren't for the killing game, this campus would be the most peaceful place I'd have ever set my eyes upon. I'd love to spend the rest of my life with you and everyone else..."

_Hayato..._

"I... I understand what you're saying," I replied. "However... We can't just forget about everything else. We simply can't do that... And, for that reason, I don't want to stay here. I want to survive... and leave this place."

Hayato didn't reply. He simply closed his eyes, and he fell asleep, almost instantaneously.

_How can he- Oh, well..._

I turned my head upwards, gazing at the sky. It was... peaceful. There were no signs of struggle. No signs of war. No signs of nothing. It was just... the sky.

_The sky... I wonder... What scenery would I be able to see if I were a bird..._

_If I could fly far beyond these walls... what would I see?_

Unconcerned about how much time I'd spent there, I remained lain down beside Hayato, watching the clouds in the sky. 

* * *

I decided to read a book in the library. The archive was quite impressive, so I was sure to find something that caught my interest. However, on my way there, I ran into Yoko, who seemed to be in a hurry.

Yoko waved to me. "Oh, hey Daichi! I've been looking for you!"

"For me?" I asked.

 _What could she possibly want?_ I wondered.

"Of course, silly," she giggled. "Would you like to go with me?"

"Go... where exactly?"

Yoko showed me fourteen pieces of paper on her hand. Each one had been neatly and carefully folded so that whatever was written on them couldn't be read.

"These pieces of paper contain everyone's names," she explained. "I was going to go around the school and make sure everyone drew a random paper out of these. You know, for our Secret Santa tomorrow?"

_Oh, the Secret Santa... I see._

"That makes sense..." I said. "But... why me?"

"Well... I dunno. We just bumped into each other and then the idea just sorta came to my mind."

 _Hold on..._ I thought. _What did she just say?_

"Wait, that doesn't sound right," I replied. "You've just said that you've been looking for me. How come the idea just came to your mind if that were the case?"

She sighed. "Oh, yeah... I did say that..."

_What...?_

Yoko giggled. "Sorry! You caught me!"

"Did you... lie?" I asked. "Why?"

"Gee, can't you be any less paranoid?" she said. "Don't be so nitpicky! Whenever someone says they've been looking for me, I feel... special. I just want to give others that feeling. And that's why I told you I was looking for you. I just wanted to make you happy, you air-head!"

 _So that's why she did it..._ I understood _. Was I being too paranoid?_

"Anyway, that's not the point," Yoko said. "Will you come with me?"

 _I guess I don't really have any choice after that_ , I thought.

"Sure," I said. 

Yoko's smile widened. "Good! Let's go, Daichi!"

* * *

Yoko and I found everyone relatively easily. Well, everyone except for one person...

"So, who's missing?" I asked.

"Katashi is the only one we still haven't found..." Yoko said. "Do you think... No, I'm sure we'll find him."

We were in front of the dormitory. It was already late, but I couldn't see any stars in the sky.

_*Ding dong! Dong ding!*_

_"Attention! It's now officially night-time! Some campus facilities will be off-limits, so please be cautious! Those facilities include: the warehouse, the laundry room, the incinerator room and the gymnasium. Sleep well, my friends!"_

"It's night-time..." I said. "Katashi should appear any time now."

Yoko raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

_You'll see..._

It wasn't long before Yoko let out a gasp as she saw Katashi exit the dormitory. "K-Katashi! Y-You're really here!"

Katashi didn't even look at us, heading silently straight to the main building.

"I don't think he'll want to play Secret Santa with us..." I said. "It's useless. C'mon, it's late. Let's get some sleep..."

"No, that's wrong!" Yoko exclaimed. "I'm sure he'll want to play with us! And if he doesn't, we'll convince him! Now, hurry! He's quite fast!"

_Argh...!_

The two of us approached Katashi, against my will. As expected, he didn't acknowledge our presence.

"Hello, Katashi!" Yoko called him cheerfully, but to no response.

"Ahem! I'll say it once again! Hello Katashi!"

Still no response.

"HELLO KATASHI!!!"

Katashi sighed. "What the hell do you want? It's late, can't you see?"

"Well, that doesn't seem to bother you that much," she replied, smiling.

He turned around. "Leave me alone."

 _God, this guy really gets on my nerves..._ I thought _._

"I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving any time soon," Yoko said. "Not until you accept our invitation to participate in our little Secret Santa game tomorrow!"

"What? Hell no. Bye."

Before Katashi could get away, Yoko grabbed his arm tightly.

"C'mon! Just grab a paper!" Yoko exclaimed, stretching her hand to show him the two remaining pieces of paper.

"I'm serious," Katashi replied, freeing his arm.

Yoko frowned. "If you don't want to pick one, I'll grab one for you!"

Yoko put her hand into her pocket and took out a piece of paper. She then proceeded to shove it into Katashi's hands. "Here you go!"

Katashi let out a sigh, before reluctantly reading the piece of paper. As he was reading it, he raised an eyebrow. I could also notice a faint laugh.

"Quite funny coming from you," he said. "I'm still not gonna partake in this."

Yoko seemed unfazed by Katashi's statement.

She giggled. "I'll be waiting for you tomorrow. Oh, and don't forget to buy a present for your secret friend!"

"Whatever..." he replied. 

Before Katashi left, he let out another sigh. "What a pain... See you tomorrow, Nakou, I guess... You too, Abe..."

_Wait... Did she do it? Did she actually manage to convince him?!_

"Wow, that was impressive," I said. "I would have given up after his first response."

"It's not that impressive..." she replied, blushing. "I mean, all I did was keep being stubborn. Besides, I was really hoping he'd join us. I couldn't let this chance slip by!"

* * *

After that exchange, Yoko and I returned to the dormitory.

"Hey, Daichi," Yoko said. "I wanted to ask you... What are your thoughts on Katashi?"

 _My... thoughts?_ I thought.

"I don't understand," I replied. "What do you mean by that?"

"Back in our morning meeting," she said, "everyone talked about how they felt about Katashi. They pretty much said that he was just a bad person... What do you think about that? Do you agree with them?"

I wasn't sure how to respond at first, but, knowing Yoko, one answer was most certainly correct.

"I... disagree with them," I said. "Everyone has their own personal issues. Deep inside, everyone is a good person. I don't think Katashi's any different. There must be a plausible explanation for his attitude."

Yoko seemed pleased with my response.

"Exactly!" she exclaimed. "Oh, thank God! I was beginning to think that I was the only one in this place that felt that way!"

"I see..." I mumbled, trying to smile. "What are your thoughts on him, then?"

"About the same as yours," she replied. "He must have been through a lot... The poor guy... Honestly, he's kinda cute..."

_Cute...?!_

"Wh-What?!" I shouted. "Where did that come from?!"

Yoko took a few steps toward me and pressed her index finger against my lips.

"Shhh..." she whispered into my ear. "It's a secret. Don't go around telling everyone. Gossip is a very bad thing, don't you know?"

_She can't be serious...!_

Having reached the dorms, we stood for a few moments in front of Yoko's room.

"Anyway, thanks, Daichi!" she said. "Today was a lot of fun!"

"Y-Yeah, it sure was," I replied. "Well then, I guess I'll-"

"Wait! I can't believe I forgot about this! You still have to draw a paper! You don't know who your secret friend is!"

_Oh, that's right..._

Yoko showed me two pieces of paper, the same ones from when we were talking to Katashi.

 _Wait..._ I thought. _Shouldn't there only be one piece of paper? Katashi got one, right?_

"Fine," I said, picking one of the papers. I opened it and read the name written on it: "Jasminne".

"Buy a present for that person before the meeting tomorrow, okay?" Yoko said.

Yoko opened the only piece of paper left in her hand. "Anyway, this one is mine. Let's see... Oh! Lucky!"

"Who did you get?" I asked.

"I'm not telling you!" Yoko replied, smiling. "Anyway, good night, Daichi!"

* * *

I lied on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Usually, when I tried to sleep, I would begin to think about seemingly random topics, though I was sure they had some meaning. However, I always forgot about all of it by the time I woke up.

That night, I was pondering about... what I had said to Yoko earlier.

_"Everyone has their own personal issues. Deep inside, everyone is a good person. I don't think Katashi's any different. There must be a plausible explanation for his attitude."_

Had I... lied?

My immediate answer would be _yes_. Honestly, I couldn't care less about Katashi's reasons for acting the way he did. No matter how you looked at it, he didn't have any excuses. Nothing justified that kind of attitude.

However, Touka had said something important to me, as well...

_"Everything that a person does... Their actions, their words, their behaviour... Everything. It all has a reason. It comes from somewhere, no matter how unlikely it may seem."_

_Touka does appear to know quite a lot about human psychology... If she's correct, then is Katashi... just like me? No... That doesn't sound right... The better way to put it is... is Katashi like everyone?_

_Actually... the... question... is... should... I... care...?_

I fell asleep. The next day, I'd certainly have more time to work out the answers to those questions.


	15. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Daily Life - Part VI

"Okay! Everyone is here!" Yoko shouted.

Everyone had gathered in the dining hall for Secret Santa. Each person was holding a present of some sort, some bigger, some smaller. I had to admit, it was quite exciting.

"Yeah! Everyone is here!" Niko exclaimed. "Even Solid Snake! I m-mean, K-Katashi!"

Katashi looked away. "What are you implying?" he muttered. "Well, I don't really care either way. Let's just get this over with quickly."

"All right!" Yoko said, ignoring his negativity. "Before we start, I'd like to talk about a few things. Firstly, I'm deeply sorry if I misspelled anyone's name on the papers... I tried to ask a few people if I had written their names correctly, but I couldn't find everyone, so..."

I grabbed the paper she had given me. It was still in my pocket. It read: _Jasminne._

 _Well, that explains why the name here is spelled wrong,_ I thought.

"Secondly," she continued, "I'd like to thank you all for coming! It looks as if my efforts to bring everyone together were worth it! Now, let's get this started!"

Shouts of happiness echoed in the dining hall. Even I had been looking forward to our little game. Fortunately, Masuta wasn't there to destroy our mood. Everything was going perfectly fine for once.

"Sooooo... Who wants to start?!" Yoko asked.

Aiko raised her hand. "Me! I can't wait to give this gift to him!"

"Him?" Chihiro said. "So we can infer that your secret friend is male..."

 _The game has already started..._ I thought.

"Can you give us more hints?!" Amaya said, slamming her hand onto the table in front of her. "That's not nearly enough! I need more clues! CLUES!"

"Wait..." Onoji said. "What's the point of this?"

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "You seriously don't know? How stupid can you-"

"H-Hey, now," Denki interrupted. "This is not the time for arguing."

"Yeah!" Hayato said. "We're here to have fun! Don't go ruining the mood!"

"Whatever..." she muttered.

Onoji raised his hand. "Um... Can someone explain to me what this is all about?"

"It is common tradition in Secret Santa to try to deduce one's secret friend via the clues they present," Saeka said.

"Oh, I see..." he replied. "Yes, I think I get it now! Thank you, Saeka."

Aiko clapped her hands. "Everyone, listen! I'm going to give another clue!"

"Tell us! TELL US!" Amaya exclaimed. "I need to know!"

 _Geez, just calm down!_ I thought _._

"My secret friend has blue hair!" Aiko declared.

 _Wait... Really? That's too easy..._ I thought.

Niko raised her hand, excited. "I know! I know! Aiko's lying, isn't she?! There's no one with blue hair here!"

"Actually..." Onoji sighed. "I have blue hair..."

 _And he's the only one,_ I thought.

"Yep! It's you, Onoji!" Aiko said.

Amaya sighed, disappointed. "Are you serious? Why would you just give it away like that?"

Aiko smiled awkwardly. "I'm not the best when it comes to these guessing games..."

"It's all right," Onoji said. "I'm really bad at them, too... Probably."

Aiko showed Onoji the present she had bought him: a home-cooked hamburger.

Onoji grabbed it, his eyes shining. "This... This is... A hamburger! How did you know I loved hamburgers, Aiko? I don't remember talking to you about it."

"I had a hunch," she replied, smiling. "Anyway, I'm glad you like it! I cooked it with care, so it must be really good!"

_She probably just checked the e-Handbook..._

The two of them hugged each other. They seemed incredibly happy.

_...but I'm not going to be the one to ruin their moment._

"Hold on!" Niko shouted.

"Wh-What is it?" Denki asked.

"Onoji's obsession with hamburgers!" Niko said. "It all makes sense now! Onoji's been lying about having no talent! He's the Ultimate Professional Eater!"

_...What?_

"How did I not think about that?!" Hayato exclaimed. "Hey, Onoji! Care to tell us why you lied about having no talent?! You're the Ultimate Professional Eater, aren't you?!"

"Huh?!" Onoji gasped. "Wh-What are you-"

"Professional eater?" Jasmine said. "Ew... Those sorts of eating competitions are borderline disgusting."

Saeka sighed. "I... would like to make a proposal. I believe we should prohibit Hayato and Niko from talking until it is their turn. Otherwise, this is going to take forever."

"What?!" Hayato and Niko shouted in unison.

"I agree," Jasmine said.

"Me too," Itaki added.

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "Saeka is right! We don't need these morons anymore! They shall perish!"

"P-P-PERISH?!" Hayato shouted.

"KIYAAAAAAAH!" Niko screamed. "I-I don't wanna die!"

Ignoring them, Kaya puffed out her chest. "In the name of science, I, the great Kaya Suzuya, shall-"

"Why not add Kaya to the list?" I said.

Kaya flinched for a second, then pointed at me. "H-Hey! That's bullying!"

After some more arguing, we ended up not reaching an agreement.

"With that settled..." Yoko sighed. "It's Onoji's turn! Come over here!"

"Sure..." he replied shyly as he walked to the centre of the dining hall.

Amaya pointed her pen towards him. "So... What are the clues, mister?!"

"Uh... My secret friend... They... They have orange hair."

"Orange hair?" I said. "That leaves us with two people: Kaya and Niko."

"Wahaha!" Kaya shouted. "I heard someone say my name! Hey, Mr. Deminnerv! You shall-"

"Clues! Clues! CLUES!" Amaya exclaimed. "I need more clues!"

"C-Calm down, guys!" Aiko exclaimed. "I can't hear-"

Everyone was talking so loudly I couldn't even make up what most of them were saying.

"Y-You don't have to speak so loudly," Onoji said, though no one listened to him. "I... I... I don't know... Erm... I-It's Niko, okay?"

As soon as he said that, all of the shouting came to a halt.

"Me?!" Niko gasped. "Ho-ho-ho! It's-a-me, Niko!"

Onoji grabbed a portable games console from his pocket and handed it over to Niko.

Amaya puffed out her cheeks. "You, too?! Why do you guys keep giving the answer away?!"

"That's what you get for being an asshole about it," Jasmine snorted, staring at Amaya.

"Don't underestimate the importance of clues!"

While Jasmine and Amaya argued, Niko jumped around happily.

"Yay! Thanks, Onoji!" she said. "How did you know I'd like it?"

Suddenly, Itaki stood up from his chair. "It was me. Onoji bought it from me. And, as you can see, the store is committed to finding the perfect present for anyone. The name 'Itaki' holds more meaning than ever before!"

"Whatever, money-weirdo," Niko replied. "Anyway... I think it's my turn now!"

 _I hope she doesn't give the answer away like the previous two,_ I thought.

"All right, Niko!" Hayato said. "Who's your secret friend?!"

"It's you, Hayato!" she replied.

Silence reigned in the dining hall for a couple of seconds.

_No... way..._

Niko froze in place, realising her mistake. "Oops... I-I shouldn't have said that, right...?"

 _Do you even have to ask?_ I thought.

"It doesn't really matter now..." Amaya said.

Niko gave Hayato a remote-controlled toy car.

"That's so awesooooooooome!" Hayato exclaimed. "You know, I've never had a secret friend before, so I wasn't expecting much... But you completely blew me out of the water! Thank you so much, Niko! I-I even prepared a speech! AHEM! It all started in the summer of '86-"

"You can give your speech later, Hayato," I interrupted. "For now, tell us about your secret friend."

He didn't seem bothered by my words. "Okay! Listen up! My secret friend has green hair!"

_Green hair... So it's either me or Katashi... I hope it's Katashi._

"It is Daichi," Saeka said.

_What?! How did she figure it out so fast?!_

"Huh?" Yoko asked. "Why? It could also be Katashi."

Saeka sighed. "Hayato would not look so excited if it were him."

 _That... That actually makes a lot of sense,_ I thought.

"You're right, Saeka!" Hayato said, smiling. "Come here, Daichi! You're my secret friend! And also my best friend! Isn't that funny? But wait... Are you _my_ secret friend? Or am I _your_ secret friend? Maybe it's both...? Ha, I don't care! Just come over here!

Hayato ended up giving me some expensive-looking chamomile tea. 

_This... This actually looks really good,_ I thought. _Itaki definitely did his research..._

"Thanks, Hayato," I said. "It means a lot."

"Yay! You liked it!" Hayato exclaimed cheerfully. "I was getting a bit worried you wouldn't..."

It was my turn next.

 _I'll make sure to make this actually hard,_ I thought, determined.

"Um... My secret friend has long hair," I said.

"That's not really helpful," Onoji said. "What else?"

I scratched my head. "They... They are female."

"Everyone with long hair here is female, dumbass!" Jasmine yelled. "Anyway, it's me, isn't it?"

"WHA-!"

 _How did she...?!_

"You kept staring at me while you were talking," Jasmine said. "Either you're a pervert or I'm your secret friend. No... It's both, isn't it?! You fucking perv! Why the fuck were you staring at me?!"

"N-No, I'm not...!" I stuttered. "U-Uh... Yes, y-you're my secret friend."

I gave Jasmine a beautiful dress I had bought from Itaki earlier that morning.

"Oh..." Jasmine mumbled. "This... is decent. I'll take it."

"Huh?" I replied. "Seriously? Is that all you have to say?!"

"Hey, Jasmine!" Aiko said. "You should be a bit more grateful!"

She frowned. "Shut up, you-"

"Aiko is... correct, J-Jasmine," Denki said, interrupting her. "You should thank Daichi."

"Whatever..." she sighed. "Thank you, Saichi."

"It's Daichi," I replied, though she didn't seem to care.

Jasmine's turn was next.

"I don't know a single thing about my secret friend," she said.

"Wait... Really?" Niko asked.

"You should begin by describing them," Amaya said.

"That would be fine if I knew who they were," Jasmine replied. "Seriously, who the fuck is Touka?"

Touka slowly raised her hand.

Jasmine tilted her head forward, examining Touka's face. "So that's your name, huh? I didn't even notice you were here up until now. Anyway, come over here. I got something for you."

 _Really?_ I thought _. Well, I don't blame her. I haven't seen Touka speak openly to anyone besides Amaya and me.._

Jasmine gave Touka a stylus pen, which I presumed was for the tablet she was always carrying around. The latter gave the present a faint curious look before typing a simple "thank you" on her tablet.

Jasmine crossed her arms. "Tch... Weirdo."

Instead of telling us hints about who her secret friend was, Touka simply showed us what she had written about them on her tablet.

Aiko read it out loud for everyone to hear, "Greedy... wants money... enjoys money... wants more money... Seriously, they love money..."

_I wonder who they are..._

"Hey, Itaki!" Yoko called him. "It's your turn now!"

Touka didn't have anything for him.

"Touka?" Yoko asked. "Didn't you buy something for Itaki?"

Itaki was the one to reply. "She has already given me a big amount of K-Coins. It was definitely the best thing I could have ever hoped for."

"Sure..." Yoko replied. "Anyway, it's your turn now."

"My secret friend is wearing red clothes," Itaki said.

"Oh! Oh! I know! I know!" Amaya exclaimed. "The only people who wear red clothes are Saeka and Touka. However, we already know that Touka was Jasmine's secret friend. Therefore, it can only be Saeka! Heck yeah, the process of elimination succeeds once again!"

As expected, Itaki gave Saeka a book. They didn't exchange any words.

 _What a creative present for the Ultimate Bookworm..._ I thought.

"I suppose it is my turn now," Saeka said. "Very well... My secret friend..."

She paused.

"Saeka?" Aiko asked. "Is something wrong?"

"My... My secret friend... They..."

"Best friend Saeka...?" Kaya mumbled, worried.

Saeka struggled to describe her secret friend. It was the first time I'd seen her in a loss for words.

"They... They..."

Onoji raised his hand. "Could it be... Kaya?"

"Oh well..." Saeka sighed. "Yes, it is her, unfor-"

Before Saeka could squeeze an "unfortunately" at the end of her sentence, Kaya hugged her with immense force. "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Saeka, you're perfect!"

_I wouldn't want to be in Saeka's position right now..._

"Please... L-Let me go..." Saeka said, gasping for air.

"Okay!"

Kaya did as Saeka said.

"Ah..." Saeka sighed in relief. "Well... Here it is."

She reluctantly gave Kaya a pack of bear-shaped gummies. 

"It's your turn, Kaya," I said.

"You don't have to tell me that, Mr. Abe," she replied. "Wahahaha! Listen, you peasants! My secret friend is... an inferior being when in comparison to the great Kaya Suzuya! WAHAHAHAHA!"

_This is going to take a while, isn't it?_

After what seemed like a whole hour of Kaya screaming random things that didn't lead anywhere, we guessed correctly that she was referring to Chihiro.

"You should apologise to her!" Aiko said. "You-"

"No... It's fine," Chihiro said. "I'm... used to that. And it's my turn now, anyway... I don't want to waste our time."

 _Come to think of it, Chihiro has been awfully silent this whole time,_ I thought. _Is there something bothering her?_

"The great Kaya Suzuya never apologises to anyone! Never!" Kaya exclaimed.

Chihiro slowly approached Kaya, who gave her a rabbit plush.

"Th-Thanks," she said.

"Wahahaha! Don't thank me!" Kaya laughed. "Thank Mr. Shimamoto! He was the one that chose your present!"

 _...Well, at least she's honest about it,_ I thought.

Chihiro glanced at Itaki, but didn't say anything. As Kaya went back to her seat, Chihiro prepared herself for her turn.

"Well... Let's see..." she began. "My secret friend is someone really strong."

"Then... Could it be Denki?" I said.

"Um... yes, actually."

 _That was... surprisingly easy,_ I thought.

Denki gasped. "M-Me?! Strong? That's... really nice of you. Thanks."

Chihiro gave Denki an iron helmet.

"I don't know why you'd want a helmet, but..." Chihiro said. "W-Well, Itaki told me it'd fit you."

"Y-Yes, it does!" Denki replied. "S-Safety is important, you know!"

"I-If you say so..."

 _Well, at least we got *one* wholesome moment out of this mess..._ I thought, looking at the two blushing faces.

Next was Denki's turn.

"U-Uh..." he stuttered. "I-I'm not the best when talking in front of a crowd..."

"You'll be fine," Yoko said. "We're all your friends, remember? You have no reason to be afraid."

Denki took a deep breath. "O-Okay... My secret friend is someone... erm... someone really important."

Jasmine slammed her fist on the table. "It's me!"

"No way! It's me!" Kaya shouted.

"You're not important!"

"Yes, I am! I am the most important person in this campus! Wahahahaha!"

_Someone should probably intervene..._

"No... It can't be any of you," I said. "You've already been revealed as someone else's secret friend."

"Then... Oh, I know!" Yoko said. "Is it Amaya?"

Denki seemed surprised she had guessed it so quickly. "Y-Yes, you're right."

"Wow, thanks for thinking so highly of me!" Amaya said cheerfully. "Still... Why do you think I'm so important?"

"Yeah, why?!" Jasmine shouted from the back of the crowd. "Amaya just solves crimes! I, on the other hand..."

I crossed my arms. "You design clothes."

"Why would that be so important?" Niko asked.

"I-I'm not talking about that!" Jasmine shouted. "I was talking about- You know what? Never mind that... Please, move on."

Amaya was up next. Denki had given her a spider-man mask, which she seemed to really like.

"Let's see..." Amaya said. "Well, my secret friend is always wearing a stylish suit!"

"A suit?" I asked. "Then... it can only be Aiko, right? There aren't that many options left, either way."

Amaya gave me a thumbs up. "Correct, Watson!"

_Watson?! But I guessed correctly! Shouldn't I be Sherlock?!_

Aiko averted her eyes, blushing. "You... think it's stylish?"

"Well, yes!" Amaya replied. "You look like an FBI agent! I think it's really cool!"

 _I don't think that suit is supposed to look like an FBI agent's, though,_ I thought.

"I just wear it because it's necessary for my job," Aiko said.

Amaya's present for Aiko was a Rubik's cube.

"This looks fun!" Aiko said. "But still... I'd probably need some help to solve it. Hey, Onoji! Will you help me solve it?"

"Sure..." Onoji replied, staring closely at the cube, dazzled.

_I bet he doesn't even know what a Rubik's cube is..._

"Anyway, that's a closed loop," Onoji said. "What do we do now? Only Katashi and Yoko are left. They must have picked each oth-"

"SHUT UP, ONOJI!" Amaya yelled.

Niko put her index finger in front of her mouth. "Shhhhh!"

"Yeah, careful with the spoilers, Onoji!" Hayato said.

"H-Huh?!" Onoji mumbled. "Wha-?"

Before Onoji could ask anything, Yoko raised her hand.

"I'll go next!" she said. "You all know Katashi is my secret friend, so I guess there's no reason for hints."

Amaya furrowed her brows. "Yeah... Thanks for that, Onoji."

Onoji gasped. "What did I-?!"

"Come over here, Katashi!" Yoko said, interrupting Onoji. "I've got something for you~!"

Katashi, who hadn't spoken a single word up until that point, slowly walked to where Yoko was standing.

"Argh..." he muttered. "You want me to say thanks, don't you?"

Yoko simply looked at him, smiling.

Katashi turned his back to her. "Ah... Thanks. This wasn't as bad as I expected, actually, I gotta admit."

Yoko grabbed his hand. "So... Would you say you're having fun?"

Katashi looked away, half-blushing. "S-Sorta..."

"Hahaha!" Yoko laughed, hugging him. "You're welcome!"

"H-Hey! Let go of me!"

"Aww... Katashi's actually a tsundere..." Niko mumbled happily.

Katashi glared at her. "What the heck did you just call me?!"

"Eeeeek!" Niko exclaimed. "Nothing, nothing!"

Yoko pulled Katashi towards her. "Hey, look over here! Wanna see your present?" 

I smiled. _Even I'm curious to see what this present is_ _...C'mon, Katashi, hurry up!_

Yoko opened her hand, revealing a small green plant attached to a piece of paper. "It's a four-leaf clover. It's a sign of luck, you know? Since I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student, I thought it'd be appropriate to share my luck with someone else... And I think you're perfect for that, Katashi!"

Katashi grabbed the clover from her hands, staring at it with curious eyes.

"...What do you think?" Yoko asked.

"Luck, huh..." Katashi mumbled. "Do you think I care about that?"

"Yep," Yoko replied. "I know you do."

A direct response. It seemed to catch Katashi by surprise, as he immediately averted his eyes. After taking a deep breath, he left the four-leaf clover in his pocket.

He sighed. "...Thanks. I'll get you my present."

 _Katashi bought... a present? For Yoko?!_ I thought in disbelief.

"Here," he said. He was holding a very tiny chocolate cake. It looked... good. Too good to pass up.

 _I... I want to eat that..._ I thought, slapping my cheeks. _No! I must... resist... the urge to eat cake...!_

"I want some!" Niko shouted.

"NO!"

Before Niko had taken a single step, Katashi yelled back at her.

_What...?_

Noticing everyone's surprised faces, he backpedalled. "It's... It's just for Nakou."

Katashi didn't look happy as he said those words. He took a spoon out of his pocket, and stuffed a piece of cake directly into Yoko's mouth. After she swallowed the cake, she opened a big smile.

"Wow, it's delicious!" Yoko exclaimed, quickly devouring the rest of the cake. "Did you bake it yourself?"

"Y-Yeah..." Katashi replied, avoiding eye-contact. "Wh-What did you think?"

"...I would never have thought you were such a great cook!"

After letting out a sigh, Katashi smiled. "N-Nothing major. Anyone can cook _that_. Either way, I'm... I-I think I'll be going back to my ro-"

Suddenly, Katashi froze in place. He had realised everyone was staring at him. Some were even smiling. His cheeks got bright red.

"...I'm out," Katashi said, almost inaudible, as he swiftly exited the dining hall.

 _...That was unexpected,_ I thought.

"It looks like someone likes you, Yoko~!" Niko giggled. "Lucky you! Well... You're the Ultimate Lucky Student, so I guess I should've expected it."

"No girl would have feelings towards a bastard like Katashi, though..." Jasmine said.

"Wahahaha! I have to agree with you on that one, Ms. Unhook!" Kaya exclaimed. "He's just a big bad bully!"

Yoko shook her head. "No... Katashi is a really sweet person, I know it. You guys are just mean..."

Aiko smiled. "Agreed! I've dealt with some untrustworthy people before... And Katashi is definitely not one of them! Of course, he isn't the most sociable guy, but I agree with Yoko. I'm sure he's just scared of this situation."

"If you say so, Aiko," Onoji replied, "then I suppose Yoko's right."

"Yeah!" Niko exclaimed. "Didn't you guys see that?! He was shaking as Yoko ate the cake! It was so cute! Who would have thought he was just a tsundere?"

"I don't really get what that word means, but I agree!" Hayato said.

"By the way," Yoko said, "the cake he gave me was absolutely amazing! He must have put a lot of love into baking it."

"Ah... Love..." Itaki said, deadpan. "Love is a fire that burns unseen... Truly magnificent."

Amaya sighed. "When you say it in such a monotone voice, it kinda ruins the feel of the poem, y'know..."

We talked for a few more minutes, and then went our separate ways. Our Secret Santa game was over. And it was a lot more fun than I'd expected...

 _Props to Yoko, I guess,_ I thought. _Besides, I'm relieved Masuta didn't show up. I wonder what that guy is up to..._

* * *

I decided to go to the library once again.

 _There's always some kind of distraction whenever I try to read a book..._ I thought, recalling all the times my reading sessions were interrupted by other people in the library.

Once I arrived at the basement, I saw another person walking towards me.

"Wahahahaha! Hello there, Mr. Abe!" Kaya exclaimed, shaking my hand.

 _I don't have time for this,_ I thought.

"I really need to go to the library," I said, freeing my hand from her grasp.

She frowned. "Best friend Saeka doesn't want to be bothered! Therefore, you're not allowed in there!"

"I promise I won't make any noise," I replied, serious.

"B-But... Best friend Saeka said..."

Suddenly, Kaya's expression changed. She seemed terribly scared. "B-Best friend Saeka..."

"Um... Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Y-You're not going to steal best friend Saeka from me, are you?!" she shouted.

_...What?_

I raised an eyebrow. "...Excuse me?"

"I-I knew it!" she exclaimed. "You were going to steal her from me!"

"N-No!" I replied. "Why would I do something like that?! I didn't even want to talk to her in the first place!"

"Why else would you go to the library?! To read books about anything but science?! Who even does that?!"

 _I can't believe she actually said that,_ I thought.

I crossed my arms. "Well, if you're so worried that someone might steal Saeka from-"

"Don't call her Saeka!" she exclaimed. "You must call her Ms. Takamoto! You're not her friend!"

"Whatever..." I sighed. "If you're so worried that someone might steal Ms. Takamoto from you, then why don't you stay there with her? What kind of person leaves their best friend behind?"

She flinched. "W-Well... I-It's an emergency..."

"An emergency...?"

"I-I... I really need to go to the bathroom! There! I said it! I need to go number two! Th-That's science, too, you know?! I think I-"

I averted my eyes, embarrassed. "Y-You don't need to go into more detail."

Red-faced, Kaya ran past me, heading to the floor above. 

"Today, the victory is yours. But I, the great Kaya Suzuya, shall be the one to win this war!" she shouted. "Mark my words! Best friend Saeka will be mine! Wahahahahaha!"

 _I'm not sure if Saeka would like that, though,_ I thought. _Well, speaking of Saeka... I think I can finally go to the library._

I walked past the memorial, and arrived at the library. I opened the door and walked inside. Saeka was sitting at the lone table near the entrance. She was reading a book named _Despair's Last Reward_.

As I closed the door behind me, I said, "Uh... Good-"

"Shhhhh," Saeka replied.

"...What?"

She frowned. "This is a library. Please, be quiet."

"Uh... I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'll just... get a book to read."

I examined the shelves until I found something interesting. _Let's see... What about this one? It's called... Spinning Pengui- No, not this one..._

I put the book back on the shelf, and resumed my search for a book. Eventually, I gave up, and simply picked the first biography I came across. I didn't even notice who it belonged to. 

_Finally..._ I thought. _Now, I can finally relax..._

I sat down on the chair opposite to Saeka. The two of us didn't exchange a single word. I turned a few pages, and began reading. It told the life of a French author born in the 1800s. 

_This is actually kinda interesting,_ I thought. I raised my head. Saeka was still reading her book.

I tried to read more, but I couldn't. _This is awkward..._ I thought. _How should I approach this...?_

"Er... Saeka?" I whispered to her.

She didn't take her eyes off the book. "What is it?"

"I wanted to ask-"

She frowned. "No."

"But-"

"Please, be quiet."

I did as she said. I read a few more pages. However, the contents completely flew over my head.

 _She meant it when she said she didn't like talking,_ I thought. _I suppose I could just leave... There aren't any rules keeping me from taking this book to my room, are there?_

I glanced at Saeka. She was in the same position, carefully reading her book.

 _But that would be rude, wouldn't it?_ I thought. _Although she's been rude to me, too... What should I do?!_

Catching me by surprise, Saeka closed her book, making a loud sound. "What is it?"

"Huh?" I mumbled, confused.

"If you really have to, I suppose I will let you finish asking me that question."

"You will...?"

 _Why did she change her mind so quickly?_ I wondered.

Saeka sighed. "It is impossible to read any books in an atmosphere like this... With you casting glances at me every five seconds, that is."

"I-I'm sorry..." I replied.

 _I was making this situation awkward for her...?_ I thought. _I should have noticed that sooner..._

"Well, then," she said, staring at me. "What is your question?"

"U-Uh..."

_And I should have prepared a question beforehand!_

"I wanted to ask you... Erm... Why... Why do you enjoy reading books so much?"

Saeka raised an eyebrow. "Do I need a reason?"

I looked away. "Well, I guess you don't but-"

"You are correct," she interrupted. "I do not need a reason. But I do have one."

 _Why didn't you say that earlier?_ I thought, slightly annoyed.

"Books represent knowledge," she said. "And, as they say, knowledge is power. The more knowledge you have, the more likely you are to find success. This is how society works."

"I don't think I-"

She frowned. "Do you want me to answer your question or not?"

"I-I do, but-"

"Then, please, do not interrupt me."

I sighed. "Fine."

 _Why did I want to question her again?_ I thought.

"As I was saying," she continued. "This is how society works. That is how the government controls the masses. If the people are dumb, they are not able to recognise or solve the problems around them. Knowledge is the only form of power this world knows."

"Ah... I wish it were that simple," I said.

Saeka raised an eyebrow. "What...?"

"Don't get me wrong, I wholeheartedly agree with what you said," I replied, "but... Well, there are plenty dumb people who are stupidly rich because parents just so happened to be stupidly rich, too. They are 'successful'—though I guess that depends on what you mean by 'success'—, but they aren't knowledgeable."

"What are you trying to say?" Saeka asked.

"Ah-! S-Sorry I interrupted you, again," I apologised. "I-I kinda started rambling there..."

Saeka closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

_...?_

To my surprise, she smiled. "Do not worry. I believe it is essential to have discussions such as the one we just had. We shall continue it in the near future."

_That was a bit too short to deserve being called a 'discussion'..._

"Oh, and one more thing..." Saeka said. "I... I have another reason."

"What?"

"Another reason for liking books..."

 _Oh, that..._ I thought.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I think it is a fun activity."

We stared at each other in silence for a few moments.

"...And?" I said.

"I think it is fun."

"Oh... Cool."

The two of us went back to reading our respective books. A few minutes later, however, Kaya came back. 

"Mr. Abe, what are you doing here?!" she exclaimed. "Get out! I SAID GET OUT!"

 _I'm not really in the mood to argue with her,_ I thought.

I said goodbye to Saeka, and left the library.

_Saeka definitely seems like a great person to talk to... Every conversation I've had with her has left me with an interesting new topic or perspective to consider. It's very refreshing, if I'm being honest... though that might just be because I'm spending too much time with Hayato..._

* * *

I was on my way back to the dormitory when I saw Chihiro standing alone near the temple. She had a concerned look on her face, though that wasn't unusual behaviour for her. Nonetheless, I wanted to check if she was okay.

"Um... Chihiro?" I called her. "Are you all right?"

Chihiro gasped. "Oh! Daichi! F-Fancy seeing you- No, wait, that might be too much... A-Anyway, yes, I'm fine... Perfectly fine... Why do you ask?"

 _She's certainly not fine,_ I thought.

"Is there something bothering you?" I insisted.

"It's nothing..." she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not buying that," I replied. "If there's something worrying you, please tell other people about it, be it me or someone else."

"Th-There's nothing worrying me, though..." she said. "It's more like I'm... relieved."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"You see, I..." 

Chihiro stopped in the middle of a sentence. "Just... Don't tell the others about it, okay?"

"Sure, I won't," I agreed. "So..."

Chihiro averted her eyes, presumably embarrassed. "W-Well... You might think I'm a bit paranoid for thinking like this, but... I was truly expecting a murder to happen during the Secret Santa."

_WH-WHAT DID SHE SAY?!_

"You were WHAT?!" I shouted. "Why didn't you tell anyone?! WH-!"

"I-I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, bursting into tears.

_I-I made her cry again..._

"N-No... It's fine," I said. "P-Please, go on..."

Chihiro took a deep breath. "I-In the games... In the _Danganronpa_ games..."

 _So she's bringing the Danganronpa games up again..._ I thought.

"Well, meetings and parties like the one we held generally don't end up... They don't end up very well..."

_Oh..._

"I... think I understand what you're trying to say. But, either way, I definitely think we should focus on getting together with everyone, staying safe, and finding a way out. There's no room for unpleasant thoughts."

"I-I..." she stuttered.

"Hey, don't be so worried all the time," I said. "Everything will be fine, I'm sure."

_Yeah... Everything will be fine._

"A-All right!" she exclaimed, a bit more confidently. "I trust you, Daichi! Everything will be fine!"

"That's better," I replied, smiling. 

Chihiro smiled. "It's really reassuring to hear that from someone. I was... really worried, actually. _Really_ worried."

_...I could tell._

"Anyway, thanks, Daichi!" she continued. "I'm glad you showed up."

"Don't worry," I replied. "Anyway, I'm gonna head back to my room now. The Secret Santa left me really tired..."

"Same here..." Chihiro said. "Well, see you later, then!"

"Yeah, see you!"

And with that, I returned to my room. I somehow felt a little more... motivated? That talk with Chihiro helped me realise what was really important.

_Yeah...! Everything is going to be fine. After all of the fun we had at Yoko's Secret Santa today, it's hard to believe anyone would actually do anything bad. Now, we just have to wait until help arrives and get the hell out of here..._

I wasn't bothered by Masuta's announcements that day.


	16. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Daily Life - Part VII

The morning began as usual. I woke up to Masuta's announcement and then went to the dining hall.

"Good morning, Daichi!" Hayato said cheerfully as I entered the room. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, actually," I replied, sitting down on the chair next to him.

_It was probably the best sleep I've had since we've arrived here..._

"Ah..." I sighed. "The Secret Santa yesterday sure was fun..."

"Yeah!" Niko exclaimed. "We should do parties like that more often!"

"...Are you sure about that?" Chihiro asked.

"Of course!" she replied. "I'm triple-sure about that!"

I looked at Chihiro. _Is she still worried about this "party curse"?_

Aiko raised her hand. "We should do a fancy dress party or something someday, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry, Aiko," Onoji said. "I don't think I'm fit for wearing dresses..."

"It's not about dresses, Onoji!" she replied. "People wear _costumes_ in a fancy dress party!"

Amaya jumped from her seat. "Oh! I love costumes!"

"I could design some decent clothes for you lot..." Jasmine said, smirking. "You might finally be able to wear something decent."

Saeka nodded. "The idea of a fancy dress party sounds... interesting. Nonetheless, if we are going to hold an event of such calibre, we should make some preparations first."

"W-We should make sure that everyone is safe!" Denki said.

"I suppose Yoko could help us with that," Hayato said. "Wasn't she the one who prepared our Secret Santa game? What do you think, Yoko?"

We all turned to the person in question. However, there was something weird about her that day. She wasn't smiling as usual.

"Um... Yoko?" I asked.

"Yoko!" Denki shouted. "A-Are you all right?!"

Finally, Yoko raised her head, surprised. "Oh! S-Sorry about that..." 

She had dark circles around her eyes, and it looked like she hadn't taken a shower.

_What is going on...?_

Yoko yawned. "It's just that... I'm so sleepy..."

"Did you pull an all-nighter or something?" Amaya asked. "It looks like you haven't slept in ages."

"I mean..." Yoko said. "I'm just a bit tired from preparing everything yesterday..."

_It doesn't look like that's the only reason,_ I thought. _Besides, that happened yesterday morning. She has had plenty of time to rest since then._

"You should've asked for help," Chihiro said.

"Yeah!" Aiko exclaimed. "If you need help with anything, you must tell us about it! Everyone would gladly help, right, everyone?"

"The great Kaya Suzuya shall never-"

"Yeah, we'd love to help!" Amaya interrupted.

Yoko smiled. "Thanks... That means a lot to me. It's just that... I mean... Uh... My talent isn't that helpful on its own... So... I have to make up for it with my own determination..."

She talked very slowly, and in an incredibly quiet tone. It took me a while to understand what she had said.

"Awwww," Niko said. "You're so cute, Yoko! If you want to, we could-"

Jasmine sighed. "This is getting really cringy... Can we please move on?"

"Sure," Yoko replied. "Anyway... What was it that you wanted to ask me, Onoji?"

"Well... Um... It doesn't matter," Onoji replied. "In all honesty, it looks like you're ill. Are you sure you're okay, Yoko?"

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "If you have any kind of illness, come to me! The great Kaya Suzuya has equally great medical knowledge!"

"I wouldn't want her as my doctor if I were you..." Saeka mumbled.

_Me neither..._ I thought.

"Seriously, guys," Yoko said. "I said I'm fine-"

"I have some prior medical experience," Itaki said, interrupting the girl. "Of course, I'd only examine you if you paid the right amount."

Jasmine frowned. "You look like the kind of guy who'd poison her so that she'd have to buy the antidote from you."

"C'mon, he's not _that_ bad..." Hayato said.

"Interesting..." Itaki mumbled, ignoring Hayato. "This actually seems like a good idea, I must admit..."

"P-Poison isn't something you should play around with!" Denki shouted. "I-It's dangerous!"

_We should certainly keep Itaki away from the infirmary,_ I thought.

"As I was saying..." Yoko said. "I'm as good as ever! You don't need to worry about me. I'll get back in shape in no time at all."

"Well, if you say so..." I replied.

And thus our morning meeting was already over. They were getting shorter and shorter each passing day—probably due to the fact that we didn't have anything to discuss. On the one hand, it was disappointing _—_ we didn't have anything that could lead to a way out. However, on the other hand, it also meant that nothing bad had happened.

_Come to think of it, Masuta hasn't shown himself in a while..._ I thought, as I was leaving the dining hall. _What is he-_

"Hey, Daichi!" Hayato called me, interrupting my thoughts. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure," I replied. "What do you need?"

He was sitting in one corner of the table. Niko and Denki were standing next to him.

"Would you join our conversation?" Niko asked. "I see potential in you!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Potential...?"

"Y-Yes," Denki stuttered. "W-We thought that you might want to join us..."

_Join them...? Are they forming a cult or what?_

"Um... What exactly are you talking about?" I asked.

"Birds, of course!" Hayato exclaimed.

"And rainbows!" Niko shouted.

"A-And kittens!" Denki added.

_How old are they again?_

They looked really happy as they said that. I wasn't really interested in that kind of stuff, but... I didn't want to turn them down.

_I can't believe I'm actually doing this,_ I thought.

Hayato puffed out his chest. "Okay! Lemme tell you a story!"

"Oh! Story time!" Niko exclaimed.

I crossed my arms. _This reminds me of kindergarten._

"Wh-What's it about?" Denki asked.

Hayato smiled. "Well... I was just walking around... I think it was last year. You see, I was in the middle of a forest and..."

"And what?" I asked.

"And then... I saw..."

Denki began to sweat. "I-I'm s-scared... The suspense is killing me!"

"Don't be scared!" Niko replied. "This is a happy and positive conversation! Right, Daichi?"

"Y-Yeah..."

_Why is she asking *me*?!_

"And then..." Hayato continued. "And then I saw... _it_."

"It?" I replied, confused.

_...Hurry up and tell us already!_

"Now I'm curious," Niko said. "Tell us! Tell us!"

"It was... A DOUBLE RAINBOW!"

... _What?_

Niko's eyes widened. "Really?!"

"Th-That's so lucky..." Denki commented. "I'd love to be able to see one someday..."

"They're not actually _that_ rare," I replied. "I've seen a couple of them myself. If you did a bit of research, you would-"

Suddenly, Hayato grabbed my hand. "It's amazing, right Daichi?! At the time, I could not believe it. It was so exciting. It was like... Oh my gosh, is that a double rainbow?!"

_Is this real?_

"There were some cows as well..." he said.

"C-Cows?" Denki said.

"Yeah! They were really friendly, too! I was like... Hey cow! Look! It's a double rainbow! A DOUBLE RAINBOW! Look! It goes all the way! And then she turned her head around and looked at it!"

"I think I've seen this somewhere before..." Niko mumbled. "Nah, that's probably just my imagination..."

Hayato giggled. "Well, that's it for the story. What did you guys think? Exciting, wasn't it?"

"That was... interesting..." I said.

_How do I get out of here?_

"I wish I could see a double rainbow one day..." Denki mumbled.

"Didn't you hear me?" I replied. "Contrary to what many people think, double rainbows aren't actually that rare. You have a good chance of seeing one someday."

"R-Really?" he replied, his eyes shining. "Th-That's better."

By that time, most people had already finished eating breakfast, and some were starting to leave the dining hall.

"Hey, Denki!" Jasmine called him. "Come here! I've already finished my breakfast, so let's go somewhere more interesting. What are you doing hanging out with these dumb kids, anyway?"

Denki raised his head. "U-Um... S-Sure..."

"Hey!" Niko shouted. "Take that back! We're not kids!"

"Yeah, Niko's right!" Hayato exclaimed. "We may be dumb, yes, but we're not kids! We're just as old as you are!"

_Well, he's not wrong about that..._ I thought.

"Gee, Denki," Jasmine muttered. "You should really try to find some better friends, you know."

I stood up, almost instinctively. "Well, we're better than you, at least."

_Hold on... Why did I say that? Why am I defending them? Have I gone crazy?!_

"Oh, Itachi, you're here," Jasmine replied. "I almost didn't see you there. You could try to be less forgetful."

_Seriously, it's Daichi. Da-i-chi. Is it really that hard to remember?_

Jasmine frowned. "Let's go, Denki."

Denki glanced at us, and waved goodbye. However, before they could step out of the dining hall, we heard that familiar bell sound.

_*Ding dong! Dong ding!*_

I froze in place. "Wh-What...?"

What could Masuta possibly have to announce? Either way, I was certain it wasn't good news... Not for us, at least.

It wasn't long before we heard Masuta's voice.

_"Oh! Hello, my friends! Did you miss me? I'm sure you missed me! And I missed you, too! Upupupupu! Anyway, to the juicy stuff... Everyone, please head to the video room. I'll meet you all there. Don't be late, or else... Well, you die. And I don't want you to die in such a stupid way! So don't be late! Five minutes, okay?"_

The video room... Why would Masuta want to call us there? The only thing that-

At that moment, something clicked in my head. _Oh... Oh no..._

"I had a feeling this would happen," Chihiro said. "Sooner or later, Masuta would have to do this."

"I-It's not going to be... dangerous, is it?" Denki mumbled.

"It does not matter if it's dangerous or not," Saeka replied. "We must go, either way."

"...But it's probably dangerous," Amaya said.

Hayato had begun to tremble with fear. "W-Well... Should we go, then?"

Aiko grabbed Onoji's hand. "Don't let go of my hand, okay?"

"S-Sure," the boy replied.

I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I wasn't sure how everyone was going to react to... our first motive.

_The first motive... That's what this is about, right?_

* * *

It didn't take long for everyone to arrive at the video room. Even though nothing had changed there, I felt unnerved. The only thing we could hope for was that this announcement would be something inoffensive, just like the previous one.

_I don't think Itaki will be opening another store..._ I thought, worried.

_*Ding dong! Dong ding!*_

The sound that preceded an announcement rang once again.

_"Upupupu! Everyone, please take a seat in front of the computer that has your name displayed. After one minute from this announcement, a video will begin playing. Remember to put the headphones on. They are next to each computer. Be fast! You won't want to miss this, my friends! Oh, and there are no reprises, by the way. This is your only chance! Upupupupu..._ _"_

For a few seconds, no one said anything. We were all paralysed, unable to move. Well, mostly everyone, that is _—_ Katashi walked quietly to one of the computers and put his headphones on.

"There he goes again," Jasmine muttered, finally breaking the silence.

"We should go, too," Saeka said.

"W-Wait!" Denki shouted. "Sh-Should we really do as Masuta says? Th-This is probably a trap!"

Amaya sighed. "Denki is right. It might be better for us to do nothing..."

"M-Maybe Masuta is trying to brainwash us!" Niko exclaimed.

"Maybe we've already been brainwashed!" Hayato shouted.

"Stupid fools!" Kaya replied. "We can't be brainwashed! We're in a deep coma, remember?! And we can't be brainwashed if we're already in a coma! Wahahaha- Wait... Can you be brainwashed when you're in a coma? I'd never thought about it from that angle..."

"I have no idea what to do..." Yoko said. "But I know we must do _something_."

"Aiko, what are your thoughts?" Onoji asked.

"I honestly don't know, Onoji," Aiko replied. "I'm sorry..."

_*Ding dong! Dong ding!*_

_"Thirty seconds remain."_

With that announcement, Saeka, Touka and Itaki stepped forward and sat in front of their respective computers.

"Saeka?" Kaya asked. "What are you doing, best friend?!"

"Ignoring you," she replied.

_Damn..._ I thought.

"It would be naive of us to let Katashi be the only one to receive this information," Itaki said.

"Who said that this was crucial information?" I replied. "We've already discussed that this could be a trap."

"The possibility that this is important information still remains," he said. "We shouldn't ignore it."

_Argh...! He's right!_

"So... Should we do it?" Onoji asked.

"Wait, Onoji..." Aiko stopped him. "We should think it over a little bit more..."

_*Ding dong! Dong ding!*_

_"Ten seconds remain._ _"_

"Forget it," Aiko said. "We don't have time."

Chihiro went up slowly to her computer.

"There's no way around it," she said.

"C-Chihiro!" Denki shouted. "W-Wait!"

"Argh!" Jasmine yelled. "Whatever! Denki, we're going, too!"

She walked towards the computers. Although hesitantly, Denki followed right behind her.

"Let's do it," Amaya said.

The remaining people, including me, rushed to the computers. Mine was in the first row, next to the left wall. I sat down on the chair in front of it. The monitor, just as Masuta had explained, displayed the name "Daichi Abe".

_*Ding dong! Dong ding!*_

_"Time's up, my friends! Aren't you eager to find out what's in store for you? Well, I sure am! This is going to be brilliant! Upupupupu! Have fun~!"_

I tried to play around with the computer mouse. That was my way of coping with this stress. As I did that, I noticed that my hand was trembling. I could also feel the sweat slowly dripping down on my face. 

_This is so sudden..._ I thought. _Just a few minutes ago, I was listening to Hayato talk about rainbows..._

The longer I sat there, the more uncomfortable I felt.

_The last time I've felt this way was-_

My thoughts were interrupted by the image displayed on the monitor.

I gasped.

It was only for a split second, but I could see... her.

_No... It can't be... THIS ISN'T RIGHT!_

It was right. There was no mistaking it. The person I saw... 

...was my mother.

_No... I can't believe it..._

She was smiling, but something about the expression on her face told me that something was most definitely wrong.

I couldn't keep all of that stress inside me anymore.

"WHAT THE FU-"

_*Click*_

My scream was interrupted by a strange sound.

"Huh?" I gasped. The monitor in front of me turned off. All of the lights in the video room were off, too.

_MUM?! W-Wait... That's not important now... What happened? Why did the lights turn off?_

"Wh-What's going on?!" a boy shouted. "I think I saw my father there!"

"Calm down everyone," a girl said in a calm manner, though her voice was still noticeably shaken. "Let's all... Let's all just calm down and think for a second."

"HOW CAN YOU BE CALM IN A TIME LIKE THIS?!" another girl yelled. That was definitely Jasmine. "BLACKOUTS SUCK!"

"Wahahaha!" you-know-who laughed. "You morons can't even cope with darkness?! Pfft!"

"I-I don't like the dark," a boy stuttered.

"Is this really a blackout?!" a girl's voice echoed. "What's going on? Can someone turn the lights back on?"

"I don't think anyone knows how to do that," another girl replied.

"This isn't good..." a girl muttered. "If this continues for too long, someone might just-"

After only a few seconds, the lights flickered back on.

"Oh..." Chihiro sighed. "Thank goodness..."

I instantly turned to my computer. The video of my mother wasn't there anymore.

"Crap," I muttered.

_What was that...? We didn't get to see the motive... What was even the point of this?_

"The monitors are turned off..." Saeka said.

"Well, that's good news, right?" Aiko said. "We don't have to see what Masuta had prepared for us. It must have been really awful."

Amaya puffed out her cheeks. "That doesn't change the fact that this was really anticlimactic..."

"That's probably for the better..." Yoko said.

"R-Right," Onoji replied. "But still... I miss home..."

"M-Me too," Niko added.

"I wonder what happened to them..." Hayato sighed. "Are they all right?"

"I'm... I'm sure they are!" Yoko exclaimed.

_She still sounds somewhat tired,_ I thought. _This stress probably wasn't good for her health._

Suddenly, Katashi stood up from his chair. "Fools. Even if, by some miracle, your family and friends are still fine, you all must be smart enough to realise that what Masuta showed us here is enough to drive someone to murder, right?"

"O-Of course not!" Yoko exclaimed. "Right guys?"

"Yeah!"

Most people shouted in agreement. That didn't seem to change Katashi's attitude, however.

"Think however you want," he said. "I'm only trying to help."

"That isn't the most effective way to help, as far as I'm aware," Itaki replied. "If you do want to help the others, I'd recommend you buy the-"

"This is not the time, please," Amaya interrupted.

Itaki frowned. "Then, when is 'the time'?"

_It is never "the time",_ I thought.

"It appears that you are the only one to adhere to those beliefs, Katashi," Saeka said.

"Perhaps," he replied. "Still, I want to give you some advice _—_ even if you're not aware of it, the simple reminder of the things you miss, no matter how inoffensive it may seem, will certainly leave a mark in your subconsciousness. That single mark... It is enough to lead someone to their last resort. In this campus, that resort is called murder."

"Oof..." Amaya mumbled. "I feel like I've been pierced... by the edge..."

Despite Amaya's attempt to lighten up the mood, we all stared at each other. Could that be right? Could Katashi really be right?

_I don't know anything about human psychology,_ I thought. _It sounds right to me, but... I don't want to believe it._

"I didn't even have a chance to look at my monitor..." Niko sighed. "I blinked..."

"And I didn't understand what he said..." Hayato mumbled.

"Oh, yeah," Niko replied. "That, too."

"Oh... I'm sorry," Katashi said. "How could I have forgotten? I have to spell everything out for the little kids..."

"Once again, we are, in fact, dumb, but we're not kids!" Niko shouted.

"Y-Yeah!" Hayato agreed.

Katashi face-palmed. "Argh... Let me explain, then. Our dear game master had intended to show us our loved ones. Because of that blackout, only a few could catch a small glimpse at the video he had prepared. Despite that, that was enough to get us to think about the people we love. Are they all right? Did something happen to them? How did Kikai manage to film them? Most of you are already coming up with answers of your own. And that is enough to lead someone to-"

"You're wrong."

_What...? Who said that...?_

We all turned our attention to Touka, who, as usual, had been typing on her tablet.

"Huh?" Katashi seemed confused. "Who...?"

"Touka Ichikawa, Ultimate Gambler," she replied, serious. "Anyway, you don't have much experience in the field of psychology."

He frowned. "Wh-What are you trying to say?!"

She took a deep breath. "Only people with certain conditions would be affected by that sort of exposure. Not only is it incredibly small, but it is not physical. Most of the worry in everyone's minds come from speculation. Besides, none of us here apply to the conditions that would make it dangerous. Of course, it would be a different story if that exposure were longer and more significant. Nevertheless, you all don't need to worry about it. Nobody would resort to murder because of that. No one in our group, at least."

Everyone was rendered speechless.

_Why... Why did she feel the need to say all that?_

Katashi turned his back to us. "D-Do I look like I care? For all we know, you could be spouting all the lies you want."

"Well, she's more trustworthy than you," I replied. Naturally, he didn't respond.

Some people were still impressed by Touka's speech. In fact, most of them hadn't even heard her voice beforehand.

"Touka spoke!" Hayato shouted.

"What a twist!" Niko exclaimed. "I thought she was deaf or something!"

"Touka, we're so lucky to have you!" Amaya said, hugging her. "I was starting to worry... It's good to know it was all for nothing."

"Yeah! Now that Touka is able to talk, our conversations will be a lot livelier!" Aiko said.

Just as she finished her sentence, Touka started typing on her tablet.

"Let me see what you've written," Amaya said, snatching the device from her hands. "Um... 'Reminder not to talk anymore.'"

_Great..._ I thought.

"And thus, we return to status quo," Saeka said.

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "But it's a fun status quo, isn't it, best friend Saeka~?"

"Well... There's really nothing to worry about, is there?" Hayato said. "I mean... We're still trapped here, but nothing that weird has happened."

Amaya crossed her arms. "Are you sure?"

"Oh, c'mon!" Jasmine shouted. "Don't go spilling lies, Miss Detective. You're ruining the mood!"

"Lies?" Amaya replied. "I only talk facts! Facts! Nothing more, nothing less!"

"Hurry up," Saeka said.. "All this talking is really getting to my eardrums..."

Amaya sighed. "Sure..."

We all stopped talking so that we could listen to what Amaya had to say.

Her expression turned serious. "We still have to figure out why that blackout happened."

"Oh, yeah..." Niko said. "That did happen!"

"The extent of your memory still manages to impress me, Niko..." I replied.

"I-It was dangerous," Denki said. "B-But nothing bad happened, so is it really worth investigating?"

"Yes..." Chihiro added. "Nothing bad happened..."

"Wahahaha! I can make something bad happen if you want!" Kaya declared. "I, the great Kaya Suzuya, shall-"

"Please don't," Saeka interrupted

Itaki raised his hand. "Me too. I can make anything happen. If you pay the fee, that is. It starts at four-"

_These people don't understand how conversations work, do they?_

"Seriously, guys!" Amaya said. "We still need to investigate! What if another blackout occurs?!"

"She is right," Onoji agreed. "It'd be foolish not to investigate, right, Aiko?"

Aiko nodded in agreement. "Of course. Now... Where should we start, Amaya?"

Before she could answer, the door burst open, and our dear game master walked in.

"Nowhere!" Masuta shouted. "You don't have to take a single step!"

"...What?" I asked, confused.

"I thought you'd be smarter, Daichi!" he replied. "I'm saying that there's nothing to investigate!"

Amaya gasped. "Huh?! H-How?!"

"You see... I was the one who caused the blackout!" he explained.

_Sure..._

"That makes sense..." Aiko said. "But... Why did you do it?"

"The blackout caused the monitors to shut off," Amaya said.

Jasmine frowned. "And we couldn't see your stupid videos because of that, you idiot."

"Th-That doesn't make sense when you think about it, does it?" Chihiro said.

"One more thing that doesn't make sense!" Kaya exclaimed. "Wahahaha! And one more point for the coma theory!"

Masuta held his breath, angry. "Just let me explain it, goddammit! You guys talk way too much!"

"Some of us... really ought to speak less," Saeka said, glancing at Kaya.

_I agree,_ I thought.

"Well, now that everyone has calmed down," Masuta said, "I'll explain why I caused the blackout. I wouldn't want to leave you guys _in the dark,_ after all!"

"Go on..." Aiko said. "Without any puns, please."

"Why not?!" Niko replied.

Masuta cleared his throat. "Ahem! You see, my friends... Originally, you guys were meant to see a motive video, but... The plan has changed! I decided that it wouldn't be wise to show you that video at this moment. The better option was to save it for later! However, when I realised that, it was already too late... The only option I had was to cause the blackout, since I couldn't stop the videos from playing!"

"Are we supposed to be happy about that?" Saeka asked.

"Upupupu! Maybe~!" Masuta replied. "Things will become more exciting soon, I promise!"

"You... promise?" I asked, worried about what that meant for us.

"Scout's honour!"

I could hear the sound of many whispers as people kept talking to each other about what to think of Masuta's statement.

"There's one thing I still don't understand..." Amaya said.

"I'll answer as many questions of yours as I can, my friends!" Masuta replied.

"Okay..." she said. "Why did you decide not to play the video?"

Masuta giggled. "Because there was no need to. It's as simple as that."

_...What?_ I wondered. _What does he mean by that?_

"I-I don't get it..." Hayato said.

"Just hurry up and tell us!" Jasmine ordered. "This is going on for way too long..."

"At this rate, Onoji and I won't have time for our morning classes..." Aiko said.

"You don't have to worry about that, my friends," Masuta said. "The reason why I decided to not play the videos now is none of your concern. Uh... Have a good day, my friends!"

And with that, Masuta swiftly exited the video room.

"Interesting..." Amaya mumbled.

_Why did Masuta think there was no need to show us the motive?_ I wondered. _There must be a good reason... right?_

Everyone began to leave the video room. There wasn't much to do. What had even been the point of that whole sequence? We didn't get to see our "motives", nor were we able to find out crucial information. It was simply a waste of time... or, at least, that was what I hoped.


	17. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Daily Life - Part VIII

It had been a few hours since the incident in the video room, but I still couldn't shake the feeling something bad had happened.

_Mum... I clearly saw her in that video, even if it was just for a split second. I wonder what she's doing now..._ I thought as I lied down on my bed.

Moreover, there was another thing that bothered me. Why exactly had Masuta not shown us the full motive video? That was definitely weird.

_Maybe he's just playing with us..._ I thought.

I tried to relax and forget what had happened. However, when I finally fell asleep-

_*Bing!*_

"Wha-!" I gasped, startled by that sound.

_Was that the doorbell? Who'd want to call me?_ I wondered as I walked up to the door. Right after I opened it, a mountain of clothes showered down on me.

"W-WOAH!" I screamed, gasping for air.

I fell to the floor, becoming entangled with the clothes. It was hard to breathe.

_Wh-What's going on?!_

"S-Sorry, Daichi!" someone called me. "Onoji and I decided not to have classes today, and I thought it'd be a good idea if I used this free time to wash everyone's clothes."

"A-Aiko?" I replied, arranging the clothes in a big pile next to me. "Ugh..."

_These clothes are really smelly..._ I thought, disgusted.

Aiko sighed. "I... apologise for the inconvenience... You see, I thought I could bring them to the laundry room on my own, but..."

"You want me to help you?" I asked.

"Um..." she mumbled. "Yes, actually. Of course, if that bothers you, I can find a way to do it myself..."

"Ah... Okay," I replied, reluctantly.

_...She's asking me for help,_ I thought. _That's... nice. Yeah!_

Aiko smiled. "Really?! Oh, thank you so much!"

_I'm sure this won't be that tiring, anyway..._

"Okay, let's go!"

As we began to walk, I realised how heavy the pile of clothes I had grabbed actually was. I was struggling to keep my balance, but Aiko seemed completely fine.

_She's doing this with such ease..._ I thought, a bit embarrassed. _Why did she need my help in the first place?_

Despite those thoughts, I didn't want to express any complaints.

_It feels nice to help someone like this..._

And thus, Aiko and I slowly made our way to the laundry room.

I turned my head towards Aiko. "Didn't we agree that we'd do our own laundry? Why are we even doing this? I think- Ah!" 

I got distracted, and tripped on a rock, almost dropping the pile of clothes I was holding.

_That was a close one..._

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "Careful there!"

"R-Right..." I replied, slightly embarrassed.

We continued to walk to the laundry room.

"Don't you think it's nice to help others from time to time?" she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"

"Your question," she replied. "You asked me why we're doing this."

"Oh... I see," I said. "And yeah... I guess that's nice. So that's why you-"

"That's why _we_ are doing this," she interrupted. "In times like these, it's important to do whatever you can to help the ones around you."

"That's... actually really nice," I said. "I mean it."

Aiko stopped for a second, looking at me.

"Really?" she giggled. "I'm glad you think that."

Unlike me, she didn't look bothered by the smell of the clothes.

"We finally reached it!" she declared as we arrived at our destination. It had only been a few minutes of walking, but it felt like it had been a long journey.

"Oof... This sure was exhausting..." I said.

"Bulk up, Daichi!" she replied. "This is nothing when compared to the kids back home..."

I was a bit embarrassed by that statement, though I could understand why she would think that.

"Don't take it personally," she said. "It's with criticism that we improve!"

Aiko didn't look nearly as exhausted as I was, despite all of the tiring activities we had done up until that point. She was the one who cooked all of our meals and helped with any problems we had. She even had daily classes with Onoji to teach him "common sense". And it was working! I hadn't seen him eat spaghetti with milk in a while. And, in spite of that, she still didn't seem even remotely tired. Either she was really athletic, or was just good enough in hiding the exhaustion.

"Are the kids at your orphanage troublesome?" I asked.

"Ha! They sure are," Aiko giggled. "You can't even begin to imagine..."

"Isn't it hard for you?" I asked. "Taking care of them must be really difficult."

"It can be hard sometimes," she admitted. "But I think it's worth it. Seeing the smiles on their faces always makes me happy. They're my family, and I can't afford to let them down."

Aiko seemed to like talking about the kids.

"How many kids are you responsible for?" I asked.

"Three hundred and forty six," Aiko replied, simply.

"Wow," I said. "That many? And how many caretakers are there?"

She tilted her head, confused. "There are other caretakers, but they have their own bunch of kids. Those are just mine."

"Hold on... You work alone?"

She nodded. "Uh... Yes? Why would I need anyone else?"

_This is a joke, right?_ I thought.

She smiled. "Oh, I see! You want names, don't you? Let's see... Aby, Acy, Ada, Amaki, Andy, Ann, Ann Claire, Anna, Anna, Anna..."

Aiko kept listing the kids' names, in alphabetical order.

"Eliza, Emporio, Enzo, Eric, Erick, Erik, Erik, Erika... Hm?" she paused. "What is it, Daichi? Is there something bothering you?"

_This is simply insane..._

"D-Do you seriously not have any help?" I asked.

"Well, I do have some help from time to time," Aiko said, "but, for the most part, no. I do most of the work myself. But the kids are really well-behaved, so it's not an issue. Ah... It really feels like one big family... Us, the caretakers, and the kids... I hope they are doing fine now..."

Aiko stared at the wall, smiling. She looked happy.

"Anyway, I'll activate the washing machines," she said, snapping back to reality.

She walked up to one of the washing machines. "Uh... Which one is the correct button again?"

I examined the washing machines, and finally noticed how strange their layouts were. Some buttons didn't seem to do anything.

"Um... Let me see..." she said, studying the buttons on the machine. "I think it's this one!"

Aiko pressed a big red button, but nothing happened.

"Hey, careful!" a voice shouted from behind us.

_Not him..._ I thought, annoyed.

Masuta barged into the laundry room, shaking his arms uncontrollably. 

"Seriously, do you have any idea of what you have just done?!" Masuta said, with a desperate look on his face.

"Um... We tried to turn a washing machine on," I said.

"No!" he replied, angry. "You turned the _incinerator_ on!"

Aiko and I looked at each other, unsure what he meant.

She crossed her arms. "We didn't go to the incinerator room."

Masuta sighed. "Just... Come with me, will you?"

We followed him to the adjacent room, which hosted the incinerator. The fire was still there when we entered. As a matter of fact, there was nothing preventing us from burning ourselves if we came too close.

"Don't go near the fire," Aiko whispered to me.

_Someone could get seriously hurt,_ I thought. 

"See?!" Masuta exclaimed. "You activated the incinerator!"

"But... How?" I asked.

"Well..." he said. "Pressing the big red button on one of the washing machines will activate the incinerator."

"And why is that?" Aiko asked. "Why'd you put a button like that on a washing machine? It doesn't make any sense."

"I dunno," he replied. "I just felt like it. Confusing stuff like this makes the game much more fun!"

I sighed. "No, it just makes it dumb."

"Dumb?!" he shouted. "Oh..."

The three of us left the incinerator room.

Aiko yawned. "It's getting kinda late, isn't it? Today's been really tiring, and I've been wanting to get some sleep... The night-time announcement should play any time soon, right?"

_*Ding dong! Dong ding!*_

_"Attention! It's now officially night-time! Some campus facilities will be off-limits, so please be cautious! Those facilities include: the warehouse, the laundry room, the incinerator room and the gymnasium. Sleep well, my friends!"_

She smiled. "Perfect timing."

"Oh well..." Masuta sighed. "Hearing my oh-so-beautiful voice always cheers me up! Upupupupu! Yes, that's it! I don't care that you think the killing game is dumb, Daichi. I'm sure you'll change your mind very soon..."

I felt a shiver going down my spine. "What do you mean?"

He giggled. "Oh, nothing, nothing... Anyway, good night, my friends! I hope you sleep well!"

Leaving Aiko and I behind, Masuta disappeared.

I sighed. "Why does he have to be a thing..."

Aiko patted me in the back. "Hey, at least he's not trying to... you know..."

_Kill us?_ I thought. _Is that what she's trying to say?_

"I guess..." I replied. "Still, we can't count on that. Nobody knows what he's up to."

"I suppose that's the case..." she said. "But I don't think we should worry about it too much. I agree with Yoko. We have to remain optimistic. That's why we held that Secret Santa a few days ago. We've been discussing this since the beginning, right?"

"Yes..." I replied. "But what if someone tries to betray us?"

Aiko's expression turned serious. "No one will. Our plan has worked up until now. Why wouldn't that remain the case?"

I couldn't argue with her. She was just as optimistic as Yoko, if not more. And besides, she was right. There wasn't any reason to doubt the others. Even Katashi was starting to become a little friendlier, or at least I hoped.

"We should go to sleep now," she said. "Everyone needs at least eight hours of sleep a day! C'mon, Daichi! You don't want to get less than eight hours of sleep, do you?"

"O-Okay," I said. "I understand..."

"People need to take health more seriously," she said. "You saw what happened to Yoko, right? She didn't get enough sleep yesterday, and now she's having trouble staying awake. Poor thing..."

We returned to the dormitory and went to our respective rooms. Another day in that campus had come to an end. How many more were there to come?

* * *

As usual, I woke up to Masuta's morning announcement. That day marked one week since we had first woken up in that dreadful place.

_Even though a lot has happened, it doesn't really feel like it. Time flies so fast... I can't believe it's been this long..._

I took a deep breath. _I don't want to spend any more time in this place_.

I walked to the dining hall. Everyone was eating their breakfast, except for Katashi, who was nowhere to be seen.

_Everybody's grown so accustomed to life inside this campus..._ I thought as I ate Aiko's delicious food. That day, she had made omelette. It was a simple dish, but the taste was marvellous nevertheless.

"Ah... This is so good..." Hayato said, with a satisfied look on his face. "I wish I could eat this every day..."

"Well, we've been eating this for a week," I replied.

Onoji sighed. "The police still haven't arrived... Even though I like everyone's company, I hope we'll be able to leave this place soon..."

"We sure will, Onoji!" Aiko said, cheerful. "We just gotta stay patient, that's all."

Jasmine crossed her arms. "Let's be serious for a sec. Why do you think the police haven't arrived?"

_Jasmine is right,_ I thought. _There has to be a good reason for that._

Denki raised his hand. "M-Maybe they're out of clues?"

"Or perhaps they think we're already... dead?" Chihiro said.

"Nah, the police isn't that dumb," Amaya replied. "Besides, even if they were to consider us dead, they'd still be looking for our corpses."

"That's... quite morbid," Onoji said.

Amaya shrugged. "Anyway, we aren't dead. We can still escape."

"You got one thing right," Kaya said. "We are, in fact, not dead."

"Um..." Hayato mumbled. "Where are you going with this?"

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "Remember?! The coma theory?! We're in a coma! We can't be dead if we're in a coma!"

"Please, stop bringing this up," Saeka said, without taking her eyes off the book she was reading.

"Fine..." Kaya sighed. "If you say so, best friend Saeka..."

Despite the fact that everyone missed their home, we were all having a good time. Masuta's undesired visits were getting less and less frequent.

One person, however, didn't seem to be in a good mood.

"...Yoko?" I asked. "Are you all right?"

Her eyes were closed, but she seemed to still be awake. _What's going on here...?_ I wondered.

Yoko suddenly stood up, frightened.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

...

...

...

...

Silence.

Everyone was staring at Yoko, silently.

"Oh... Sorry..." she said, trying not to yawn. "It's just... I'm so tired..."

_...What the hell just happened?_

"I assume you weren't able to sleep yesterday," Itaki said.

"M-Maybe you're ill," Denki suggested.

"Ill?!" Jasmine shouted. "What if it's contagious?!"

"Calm down, I am positive it is not anything serious," Saeka replied. "Now, Yoko... Would you care to enlighten us about your condition?"

Yoko looked at Saeka, confused. It took a while for her to figure out what she had meant.

"Um... It's nothing really," she said. "I'm just... tired..."

"You sound... _too_ tired," I said. "Why can't you sleep?"

She lowered her head. "I... I don't know... But... You don't have to... worry..."

Amaya approached Yoko. "Something is definitely wrong. We can't ignore it."

"Wh-What can we do?" Chihiro asked.

"Wahahaha!" Kaya shouted. "That's my cue!"

_Oh no..._

"...Wh-What do you have in mind, Kaya?" Aiko asked.

"Sleeping pills!" Kaya replied. "If you take my special sleeping pills, you'll certainly be able to sleep again!"

Yoko's eyes widened. "...Really?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Niko said. "That deal sounds super sketchy! What if she gives you poison instead!?"

"P-Poison?!" Denki shouted.

Suddenly, Kaya grabbed Niko by the collar.

"Are you accusing me!?" Kaya shouted. "Wahahaha! Fool!"

"Kiyaaaaaaaaah!" Niko screamed in terror.

It happened so fast, I didn't have time to process what was happening.

"H-Hey, Kaya!" Hayato said. "Stop it!"

"This is dangerous!" Denki said.

However, despite their attempts, Kaya wouldn't let go of Niko.

Finally, Denki jumped at Kaya, restraining her. Eventually, she calmed down.

"Stupid morons..." Kaya muttered.

"What was that for!?" I shouted.

"You should apologise to Niko!" Aiko said. "This is no time to fight!"

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "Science shall never surrender!"

Saeka stood up, and took a deep breath.

_*Slap!*_

"Ouch!" Kaya shouted.

"Quit the screaming," Saeka said coldly. "This is an order."

Kaya flinched. "O-Okay... I-I'm sorry, best friend Saeka..."

Saeka sighed, and returned to her seat. She grabbed her book, as if nothing had happened.

"Right..." Kaya sighed. "Anyway, there are some sleeping pills in the infirmary. If you want, Ms. Nakou, I can grab some for you."

_How can she speak so calmly after all that?!_

"Don't do it..." Niko said.

Kaya froze in place. "Th-That's bullying! Y-You're all bullying me, aren't you!?"

Yoko put her hand in Kaya's shoulder, looking directly at her eyes.

"It's... all right," she said. "We're all... friends... I'd love... your help..."

Kaya opened up a big smile. "Then it's settled! Wahahahaha! Science reigns supreme once again! Did you hear it, Saeka!? She wants my help!"

Saeka didn't reply.

"I wonder if taking those pills will really help you, Yoko," Onoji said.

"I doubt it," Jasmine replied.

Yoko shook her head. "No... I trust... Kaya..."

_I'd never do that if I were her,_ I thought, _but who am I to stop her? She seems determined to do it._

And with that, our meeting was over. I couldn't believe that Yoko was really going to get help from Kaya. That girl was... unstable, to say the least.

But that was the least of my worries.

I couldn't help but wonder what was the cause of Yoko's condition. Was she really ill? Had she just caught the flu or something? Or was it something more serious?

As I sat there thinking, people began to leave the dining hall. Looking around to see who was still there, I noticed that Niko, who was sitting in the corner of the room, seemed a bit down.

"Um... Niko?" I called her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." she replied. "It's just... I can't believe Yoko actually agreed to take Kaya's pills! Even after what she had just done to me..."

_Kaya definitely went a bit overboard with Niko..._ I thought, recalling how Kaya had grabbed her collar.

"Well, she is the Ultimate _Mad_ Scientist," I said. "That title really isn't a joke..."

"Come to think of it, she kinda reminds me of that other mad scientist..." Niko said. "Y'know, the famous one from that anime. You know him, don't you?"

"I'm afraid I don't know," I said.

_Of course I know which character she's talking about,_ I thought. _But she looks so eager to explain it to me..._

Niko jumped from her chair. "You don't know?! He's the one who says _I am mad scientist! It's so cool! Sonuvabich._ "

The blogger went on to explain the whole premise of the show this character was from, striking some of his signature poses along the way.

"I think I remember it now..." I said.

"That show was a masterpiece!" she exclaimed. "It's the best time-travel story ever! Ever! Don't listen to the normies who like stuff such as _Back to The Not-Past_ and _The Finisher._ Those people don't know a single thing about time-travel!"

_Those movies are classics, though,_ I thought. _And they are not that bad... They're actually pretty good. There's a reason why they're called classics._

"Either way, all of those stories don't really make much sense," I said. "After all, according to modern science, it's impossible to travel back to the past."

"That's wrong!" she exclaimed. "What do those scientists know about time-travel? Nothing! They've never been to the past, have they? Then they can't possibly know!"

_Is this random blogger really questioning modern physics?_ I thought. _Well, I suppose that's not really uncommon nowadays..._

"Oh, I'd love to see some dinosaurs!" Niko said. "If I had the chance, I suppose playing with some robots would be really awesome, too! Where- No, _when_ would you like to go, Daichi?"

_When would I like to go?_ I thought. _Well, there's a lot of things I'd love to do differently... Checking out what the future has in store for us might also be helpful..._

"It's pointless thinking about it," I said. "We don't have a time machine as far as I'm aware."

Niko frowned. "Boring! I thought you'd be more imaginative, being the Ultimate Animator and all..."

I looked away. _Whatever..._

"Anyway, thanks for talking to me, Daichi," she said. "Haha! I don't even remember what I was so worried about in the first place."

"Oh, it was because Yoko-"

"I'll be on my way!" Niko shouted before I finished my sentence. She quickly left the dining hall.

* * *

"Oi, Daichi!" Hayato called me from inside the kitchen. "Come over here!"

He was looking inside one of the cupboards. We were the only two people remaining in the dining hall.

"What is it?" I asked, entering the kitchen.

His eyes were shining with excitement. "Don't you see what I've found?!"

He was staring at a couple of black packages, which were hidden away behind a few boxes.

"It's... coffee," I said, reading the label on them.

"You bet!" he replied. "Man, I wish I'd found those earlier!"

"It's just coffee," I replied, not understanding what his commotion was about. "I mean, it's good, don't get me wrong. But, by the way you were shouting, it sounded like you'd found a secret passageway or something along those lines."

_Considering Hayato's nature,_ I thought, _I should've probably lowered my expectations._

"Wait and behold the greatness of my coffee, Daichi!" he declared, locking himself inside the kitchen.

As I sat down, the thought of leaving Hayato behind and going somewhere else crossed my mind. 

_Nah, he's still my friend..._ I thought. _What could go wrong, anyway? He's just going to make some coffee for us._

Aiko entered the dining hall.

"Are you okay, Daichi?" she asked. "Isn't Hayato with you? I heard his voice just now."

"He's making coffee in the kitchen," I replied.

"I see... Didn't even know there was coffee here," she said. "But... Are you sure he'll be safe around coffee?"

"Huh?" I mumbled, confused. "What do you mean? It's just coffee."

Aiko looked away, worried. "Oh no...! It can't be!"

She sprinted towards the kitchen door.

"Hayato!" she called out for him. "Open this door!"

No one answered.

"Aiko, why are so worried?" I asked. "Just let him make his coffee in peace..."

"Hayato told me that he becomes _really_ excited whenever he drinks coffee," she said. "He explained that one day he drank so much coffee that he almost got arrested..."

_...What?_

"Hayato, open this door already!" she exclaimed, knocking on the door frenetically.

A few seconds later, Hayato unlocked the door. He was holding a coffee teapot, with an incredibly huge grin on his face.

"Whatareyoutwodoing!?" Hayato asked, jumping around energetically. "Doyouwantsomecoffee!? Imadesureittasteddelicious! I'vealreadydrankalot, butthere'sstillenoughleftforyoutwo!"

_...WHAT?!_

I couldn't quite decipher what Hayato was saying. He was usually brimming with energy, but thatwas too much.

"H-Hayato?" I asked. "What...?"

"It's just as I thought..." Aiko muttered. "We were too late!"

Hayato raised an eyebrow. "Toolateforwhat? I'vealreadysaidthere'sstillsomecoffeeleftforyoutwo! C'monDaichi! Takeasip!"

I turned my head towards Aiko, worried. "A-Aiko! Wh-What should I d-do!?"

She looked at me, then at Hayato.

"Whatareyoutwotalkingabout?!" he said. "Aiko! Doyouwantsomecoffee!?"

"U-Um..." she mumbled awkwardly. "Oh! I-I just remembered! I have class with Onoji today! How could I have forgotten?"

Without looking back, Aiko swiftly left the dining hall.

"A-Aiko!" I shouted. "W-Wait!"

"See you guys later!" she exclaimed, already far from us. "Have fun!"

_Oh no..._ I thought. _I can't blame Aiko, but still... Argh! What should I do!?_

"EarthtoDaichi! EarthtoDaichi!" Hayato called me. "Let'sdosomethingfun, shallwe?"

"Um... I don't-" I replied, but, before I finished speaking, Hayato had already grabbed me by my sleeve.

"Wooohoooo!!!!" he exclaimed. "Let's-a-go!"

I was shaking with fear.

_WHAT DO I DO?!_


	18. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Daily Life - Part IX

"Faster, Daichi!"

"Oof..." I coughed. "You're... way too fast..."

I stopped. I had to regain my breath before we kept running.

"Geez, I didn't know you were that slow!" Hayato said. "And we didn't even run that much!"

I tried to keep my composure. I looked to my side, noticing we were standing in front of the gymnasium.

Hayato and I had been playing tag non-stop since the coffee incident. He'd calm down a lot since then, but he still had a lot of energy left. I wouldn't say our game was boring, but it sure wasn't that fun either.

 _I don't know if I'll last much longer..._ I thought.

"Well, it doesn't matter," he said. "We have arrived at our destination! Oh, and I win the game, by the way."

_It's... over?_

I sighed in relief. "Oh, thank- I-I mean, is there something you want to do there? I don't recall there being anything interesting in the gym."

He frowned. "What do you mean, Daichi? It's a _gym_. And it's huge! It's the first time I'd come across a gym this big!"

 _It's not even that big,_ I thought. _The gym in my school is twice the size, and that's the standard for most schools in Japan._

"Whatever..." I muttered. "Just don't make me do more exercise, okay?"

Hayato opened the door to the gym, which caused a huge sound. However, we weren't the only ones there.

"Hey there!" Hayato said.

"AH!" Amaya shouted. "You startled me! Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?"

She was crouched, examining the stage in the back of the gym.

"Sorry..." I replied.

 _Wait, why am I apologising?_ I thought. _I didn't do anything. This is all Hayato's fault._

"Well, either way..." I continued. "Er... What are you doing, exactly?"

"Investigating, of course!" Amaya replied. "That's my job, after all."

"Wow, that's so cool!" Hayato said. "You've solved many crimes, haven't you, Amaya!?"

Amaya puffed out her chest, grinning. "Sure have! Although... Our current situation is probably the biggest mystery I've ever faced."

_...Probably?_

"Don't worry!" Hayato said. "I'm sure you'll solve it eventually!"

Amaya smiled, though she looked a bit sadder than usual.

"So... Do you want us to help you investigate?" I said.

"Huh?" Amaya gasped. "Really!? Are you sure you're up to the task?"

I smiled. "Well, I'm sure Hayato will be able to-"

Amaya frowned. "I'm talking about you."

I gasped. "M-Me?!"

She giggled. "What does a weeb like you know about detective work?"

"W-WEEB?!" I shouted. "I-I'm not-"

"You're the Ultimate Animator," she said. "It's too late to tell me you're _not_ a weeb."

"But I'm telling you, I'm not!" I replied. "I-I can prove it! I know a lot about detective work. For instance, in the Danganronpa games-"

"Those are weeb games. Niko told me aaaaall about them."

 _Wh-What do I do?!_ I thought.

"What's a weeb?" Hayato asked.

Ignoring his question, Amaya pointed her finger upwards. "Okay! Let's get to work!"

 _...This is not gonna go well,_ I thought, reluctantly walking towards Amaya.

By that point, Hayato had already forgotten about whatever he wanted to do at the gym. The prospect of working with a real detective was probably too appealing for him to let that chance go by. And thus, the three of us started looking around the gym.

Amaya seemed a little happier after Hayato and I had joined her.

_It must be difficult investigating all alone..._

I glanced at her. She noticed it almost instantly and replied with a mischievous smile.

_...But she called me a weeb._

"H-Hey, guys!" Hayato exclaimed. "I think I've found something!"

"Really?!" Amaya shouted, her eyes shining. "What is it!?"

Hayato laughed. "Nah, it's nothing. I'm just kidding. Haha!"

Amaya frowned. "This is a serious job! Don't joke around! Do you understand me?! Hm?! DO YOU UNDERSTAND-"

Hayato flinched. "Eek! Y-Yes, Ms. Chinen!"

_Hayato should probably start taking things more seriously... Especially with Amaya around._

After that happened, we got back to investigating. Actually, it was more like just looking around aimlessly. No matter how thoroughly we explored the gym, we weren't able to find anything.

"Aw, geez..." Hayato said. "This sucks. We can't find anything!"

"Stop complaining and keep searching!" Amaya replied.

"If only your father was here..." Hayato sighed. "He's Japan's best detective, right? He'd probably make this investigation a whole lot easier!"

Amaya shrugged. "Eh... I doubt it."

"Hm? Why is that?" I asked.

"He he he..." Amaya giggled wryly. "Well, you see... I'm practically on the same level as my father! Which would make me number one, as well!"

"Eh?"

Hayato and I both looked at her, then at each other.

 _...No,_ I thought. _No, you are not._

Amaya crossed her arms. "Hey, what's with those faces?! You don't believe me?!"

"It's not like I don't believe you..." I said. "It's just that... erm... Actually, no, that's exactly it."

"I know it's true," Amaya replied. "Heck, I might even be better than him!"

"And how are you better than your father, exactly...?"

 _I mean, he's on the news all the time..._ I thought. _On the other hand, I didn't even know you existed before coming here!_

"Simple!" Amaya replied. "The cases I've solved on my own have had a greater impact than any of my father's!"

"...If that's the case, then why does no one know about you?" I said.

Amaya frowned. "Because of the government, of course! Censorship! They think the public would go crazy if they ever heard about those cases!"

_...Yeah, keep telling yourself that._

"Wait..." Hayato said. "Wasn't Detective Chinen responsible for exposing that huge international food-chain?"

"...Yeah, that was him," Amaya replied, averting her eyes. "I guess he did a good job on that one..."

"What about that one time he caught the leader of that huge drug trafficking organisation that extended across all continents?" Hayato continued.

"I-I guess that was pretty important, too..." Amaya said.

Hayato blinked. "And that one time he saved a rookie detective that was falling from a building while taking down a helicopter full of mafia men at the same time?"

Amaya turned her back to him. "To be fair, I could've used some tablecloth I had with me as a parachute... A-Anyway, I admit he's done some cool shit, too. We make a pretty good duo, wouldn't you say so? Haha!"

 _...You were practically mocking him a few seconds ago,_ I thought.

"Now that I think about it..." Hayato said. "It's a pretty big coincidence that both you and your father are great detectives."

"Nah, not really," Amaya replied. "He's always been very adamant about making me his successor or something... though I guess our family is super fitting for this job! It's in our name, y'know? Chinen, meaning 'know feelings'. Very appropriate for a detective, right?"

"Er... Yeah, I guess that's a cool coincidence," I said.

"What about you?" Amaya asked. "Does your family name hold any interesting meaning?"

Hayato stopped searching for a second.

"My name's written means 'water' and 'hope'!" he declared.

 _That's... random_ , I thought.

"That's... interesting," I said.

"Well, I'm the type that just goes with the flow, like water, so I guess it represents me, hehe," Hayato replied, smiling. "And you, Daichi?"

I hesitated for a second, wondering what their reaction would be.

"Um... Peace," I said. "The first kanji for Abe means 'peace', and the second one means 'multiple times'."

Hayato grabbed my hand. "Wow, that would've been perfect for me! I made the right choice by befriending you, Daichi! You'll always bring us peace, won't you?!"

"Eh..." I mumbled, unsure what to say in response.

 _Those types of conversations are definitely not for me_ , I thought. _Someone's life and personality can't be summarised just by their name_ _, so what's_ _even the point in talking about these things?_

After reflecting about it for a few seconds, I noticed that Amaya was furiously writing something on her small notebook.

"...Amaya?" I asked. "Why are you taking notes?"

"C'mon, Daichi!" she shouted. "Let a detective do her work!"

"Work?" I said. "You don't have to turn every conversation into an interrogation, you know that?"

Amaya didn't take her eyes off her notebook. "You never know which pieces of information will be relevant at any given time. And so, I advise you to always take notes!"

"My memory is good enough, thank you very much," I said.

Hayato approached Amaya. "Can I take a look at your notebook?"

"Sure," she answered, handing him the object. "Here you go."

Hayato took a quick glance at the notebook's pages, noticing that almost all of them were entirely full.

"Woah!" he exclaimed. "You sure did take notes about everything!"

Amaya laughed. "Ha! Of course I did! Every little detail is written there."

Hayato lent me the notebook so that I could check it out as well.

"Let's see..." I started. "Here's our first conversation... Masuta's rules... Itaki's store information... Everyone's presents at the Secret Santa..."

 _This is insane..._ I thought.

I gasped, closing the handbook. "E-Everything really is here..."

"Impressive, isn't it?" she boasted. "Now, do you want me to tell you about my job procedures? They're quite fun! We could also-"

"Sorry, Amaya," I interrupted. "I think I'll pass."

Amaya seemed a bit disappointed with my response.

"Um... I'm sorry," I said. "I may have sounded a bit rude."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Amaya replied casually. "I can get really worked up when talking about my job. Besides, I guess I shouldn't have expected much from a weeb like you to begin with..."

I frowned. _Okay, that's where I draw the line._

Amaya and I looked at each other, in silence. Hayato just stood there, confused.

Amaya averted her eyes and sighed. "...I'm sorry, Daichi. I was just joking, okay? But I guess I kind of crossed the line there... And a few other times, as well... We didn't find any clues, and my mood is all over the place, though this obviously doesn't justify this..."

I sighed. "It's fine. I understand... It feels like we've been here since forever, so I suppose that's not unusual. Truth be told, I'm also not feeling that great..."

"...I think I may have come off as a bit arrogant when talking about my father before, too," Amaya said, "so I apologise if that was the case... Even though, like, _cough_ half of it is still true _cough_."

"...You know you can actually cough instead of just saying the word 'cough', right?" I replied.

Amaya laughed. "Haha... I guess."

After that, the three of us just... stood there, awkwardly.

"...I wonder for how much longer we're gonna be trapped here..." Amaya said, hanging her head. "We haven't found anything useful, and I... I miss home..."

I looked away. "Yeah, me too... I wonder what my mum is doing right now at home..."

Amaya gave me a soft smile. "We're all in this boat together, aren't we? Well, I guess that makes things easier to handle... knowing you're not alone..."

"Yeah!" Hayato exclaimed. "I don't fully understand what you're saying, but yeah!"

Hayato and I then said goodbye to Amaya and left the gym. Hayato went to the dining hall, telling me he was hungry. I, on the other hand, decided to check if Yoko was all right.

 _She said she would accept pills from Kaya,_ I thought. _If that doesn't shout trouble, I don't know what does._

* * *

I made my way to the dormitory. There, I bumped into Kaya.

 _Not now..._ I thought, but my thoughts were, as expected, immediately interrupted by her obnoxious voice.

"Careful where you walk, Mr. Abe!" Kaya shouted. "Wahahahaha!"

I sighed. "Hello, Kaya... So... Did you give Yoko the medicine?"

"Wahahahaha!" she laughed even louder. "Why would _you_ want to know, hm?"

 _This conversation is already too annoying for me..._ I thought.

"Did you give it to her or not?" I insisted.

"I-Is that some k-kind of bullying?!" she replied, walking back a few steps.

 _This isn't going anywhere..._ I thought. _Might as well ask Yoko directly._

Ignoring Kaya, I knocked on Yoko's door. After what felt like an eternity, it opened. From inside the room, Yoko smiled at me.

"Daichi... Hello," she said slowly, visibly tired.

"H-Hi," I greeted her back.

I glanced at my back—Kaya had already gone, thankfully.

"So..." Yoko yawned, inviting me inside. "...Do you wanna... talk?"

"Um... Yes, actually," I replied, sitting on her bed next to her. "Are you fine? Feeling any better?"

"Not really..." she answered. "But Kaya's brought... the medicine..."

"Oh, I see," I said, noticing the glass bottle on her table. It was from the infirmary. The label glued onto it read _Miz Arfod._

 _I remember this..._ I thought. _Kaya talked to me about it when we first met, didn't she?_

The bottle contained small white pills, which, when taken, supposedly made someone fall asleep almost instantly.

 _It seems a good fit for people with insomnia_ , I thought.

I looked at Yoko. "Did you already take it?"

"No..." she replied. "I was... planning to do it now..."

I handed her the bottle. She picked up one of the pills, but hesitated. It didn't look like she wanted to take it.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"It's just... What if this doesn't work?" she replied.

"Well, you just have a cold, right?" I said. "You'll get better in due time, even if you don't take the medicine."

She averted her eyes. "Um..."

 _There's something wrong here..._ I realised. _Yoko's acting strange..._

"Do you want to tell me anything?" I asked.

Yoko seemed startled by my question. Perhaps I had been too direct.

"D-Don't get me wrong, I-I just-" I stuttered.

She looked at me shyly. "You see, Daichi... I... When I was younger, I used to have an... illness..."

_...What?_

"An illness?" I asked. "What kind of illness?"

"Um... I-I don't k-know," YOko replied. "I mean, I was really young... I don't remember much..."

"Go on..." I said, still a bit unsatisfied with her answer.

She had a worried expression on her face. "Daichi... Before I continue... Can you promise me something?"

"Um... Sure," I replied. "What is it?"

"You... You must not tell anyone about this."

I flinched. _Wh-What...?_

"Oh... Sorry for startling you..." she said. "It's just that if anybody else finds out about this..."

"D-Don't worry," I said. "Your secret is safe with me."

Yoko looked really pleased with my answer. She finally opened up her signature big smile.

"...All right, then," she began. "Like I said... I had an illness when I was younger... I don't recall what it was exactly, but I do know it was something serious..."

"It must have been pretty difficult," I said.

"Not really..." she replied. "I had a very happy childhood, if I do say so myself..."

Yoko stared at nothing in particular as she spoke. The more she talked, the more distant from the world around her she seemed to become.

"The only thing I can remember about it was... that I couldn't sleep," she said.

"Wait..." I said. "You don't mean-!"

"Yes..." she replied. "I believe that illness... has returned."

I was in shock. I didn't even know what to do in a situation like that. Should I pity her? Should I try to comfort her? Should I just give her a generic hope speech? Should I search for a rational solution?

_Argh! What should I do?! I don't have any kind of medical experience!_

"Daichi..." she said. "You... You don't need to worry about it..."

"But I do!" I shouted. "If there's a chance that you'll end up dead because of it, how could I not worry about it!?"

Yoko's eyes widened.

"U-Um..." I backpedalled.

 _Shit_ , I thought. _I shouldn't have said that much... I barely even know this girl, what was I thinking?!_

To my surprise, Yoko laughed. "I'm not dying anytime soon, silly! I just wanted to say that, since I've coped with this condition before, I can do it again!"

"Are you... sure?" I asked.

"Of course!" she giggled. "Besides, I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student, remember? I believe in my own luck."

Yoko's voice was comforting. Maybe it was her that was helping me, and not the opposite. Either way, she seemed less tired after our conversation. However, that didn't last long. The symptoms of her "illness" were showing themselves again.

"Have hope, Daichi," Yoko said, smiling.

A few days prior, Niko had mentioned how Yoko reminded her of your stereotypical "main character". I wasn't usually the biggest fan of that archetype. It seemed so... unnatural.

_Or perhaps that's just because I enjoy stories with heroes who leave an impact on you, and are not merely blank slates..._

Either way, even though I wasn't close to her, Yoko's words were still oddly inspiring.

"Well, then..." she said. "I think... I'll take the pill now..."

Yoko grabbed one of the _Miz Arfod_ pills and swallowed it whole.

"Uuuuuh..." she yawned. "I'm already... sleepy... It's working..."

The words seemed to stumble as they left Yoko's mouth.

"That's great!" I said. "You should try to get some sleep now, okay?"

She nodded. "Of course! Um... And... Could you take... the pills... back..."

"To the infirmary?"

"Yes..." she replied. "I don't think... I'll need them... anymore..."

"Sure," I said, grabbing the bottle of medicine. "So... Um... See you tomorrow, I guess."

"See... you!" she exclaimed, cheerfully.

Yoko lay down on her bed, and I stepped outside of her room. I did as she said and put the bottle back inside the cupboard in the infirmary. The sun was still out, which meant I still had some time to spend.

* * *

I grabbed a book from one of the shelves. The library was more crowded than usual that day, but wasn't reason enough to make me not spend my time there.

Including myself, there were four people in the library. The others were Kaya, Saeka and, surprisingly, Katashi.

Kaya and Saeka were usually hanging out in the library. After all, Saeka would spend most of the day there. Too bad she wasn't able to read as much as she wanted with Kaya by her side.

Katashi, on the other hand, never left his room during the day. He was reading a book called "No Time Breakout". From the looks of it, it was a mystery novel about nine people trapped in a sinking ship who must find a way to escape.

"Katashi?" I called him. "What are you doing here?"

"Shhhh," he replied. "This is a library, Abe."

Saeka sighed. "You'd be surprised how many people forget that fact..."

"Whatever," I replied. "I just wanted to ask-"

Saeka turned to us.

"If you want to keep talking, please do so _outside_ the library," she said.

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "Get out of here, you two! Have you not listened to best friend Saeka's orders?"

Katashi looked at Kaya. "Are you referring to me?"

Kaya flinched. "B-Bad bullies... B-Bullies!"

Katashi and I walked out of the library and into the basement hall.

"So, Abe," he said. "What do you want?"

I was caught off guard by Katashi's statement, as he didn't usually want to talk.

"Um..." I mumbled. "I wanted to ask... Why were you in the library in the first place?"

"Because I wanted to read," Katashi replied. "Isn't that obvious?"

It _was_ obvious. However, something still seemed weird.

"You're acting different," I said. "Did something happen?"

Katashi raised an eyebrow. "Hm? No. And if something did happen, why would I tell _you_?"

Once again, something felt strange about Katashi's response. He seemed a bit more open to conversations.

"I dunno..." I sighed. "Anyway, um..."

"You don't have anything to talk about, do you?" he said.

"Uh... N-No..." I stuttered.

Katashi glared at me with a look of disapproval.

"You're usually more confident than that, Abe," he said.

 _I don't really like the direction of this conversation_ , I thought, as I tried to find an interesting topic.

"There's one more thing I wanted to ask," I said.

"Go ahead," he replied.

"Why do you dye your hair green?" I asked. "It's not every day that I see another person who does this."

He looked away, as if the question was way too personal for his liking.

 _Had I gone too far?_ I wondered.

"I didn't dye my hair," he muttered.

"Excuse me?" I said, wondering if I had listened correctly.

"My hair is naturally green," Katashi said. "Do you have any problems with that?"

_...What did he say?_

"N-No..." I said. "Although it is hard to believe..."

Katashi didn't reply.

"It's not that I was born with green hair," he explained, breaking the silence. "That'd be stupid."

"I don't think I understand..." I said.

Katashi looked at me. However, he appeared less condescending than usual.

"I think there's no point in holding back information anymore..." he said. "You see-"

"What do you mean?" I interrupted, confused.

He was a bit annoyed with my interruption. "Abe, don't you realise it?"

"Realise... what?" I asked.

"We might not have that much time left," he said coldly. "It doesn't seem like police are coming. Sooner or later, someone will turn up dead, and you know that. That's just how this game works. And if we get the answer wrong in the class trial... We're dead, too, you know? Argh... Why am I even telling you this-"

"No! That can't be the case!" I shouted.

"Why? Do you have any reason to believe otherwise?" he replied.

I couldn't come up with a response to that. No matter how much I wanted to speak up, for some reason, I couldn't respond to Katashi's statement.

"I thought you didn't," he smirked. "Now, do you want to listen or not? I gotta get back to reading."

I nodded in response.

"Very well..." he began. "It's not that long of a story, anyway. I was around eight years old at the time. I was on a school trip to a sweet-producing factory. Even at that time, I thought it was stupid. After all, what's there to learn at a factory like that?"

As Katashi spoke, he avoided making eye-contact with me. Perhaps he did that to forget the fact that he was actually telling someone that. It was almost as if he was telling that story to himself and himself only.

"While we were walking through the factory, an accident happened," he continued. "A liquid poured from above, and I became completely soaked. Apparently, a leakage had happened. The liquid was a special chemical that was used to make some sweets green. The doctors that examined me afterwards said that my hair would be permanently green from that point onward."

_...What?_

Katashi's story seemed way too far-fetched to be true. Not only would he have had to be in a very specific location for that to have happened, who knows what other symptoms a chemical like that could cause? Was it even real in the first place?

 _He could very well be lying..._ I thought.

"I can see that you still don't believe me," Katashi said. "I don't really care. Make of that what you will."

I didn't know what to reply.

"Well, um..." I mumbled. "I... I think it's cool, actually."

He flinched. "Wh-What did you say...?"

"Green is my favourite colour," I said. "That's why I chose to dye my hair green. It makes me feel... unique."

He looked away. "W-Well, I admit, it could have been worse..."

 _He could have died there,_ I thought.

Katashi grinned. "You sure are weird. You don't look like the kind of person who'd want to stand out among the crowd."

"Well, I suppose that's the case..." I said. "It's contradictory, and I know that. Still... I think it's in my blood. My mum is a graphic designer, and my dad... Well, I don't know what he is, but I like to assume he's a creative person as well."

"Parents, huh..." he said. "Yeah, they're nice..."

Katashi looked off into the distance.

"Well, it's just my mum, really," I said. "I don't even know why I brought up my dad..."

"Forget about him, then," he said.

"What...?"

He sighed. "He's not your family, is he? You should just forget about him."

I tried to argue with him, but knew it wasn't worth it. 

"Well, either way, I don't really want to meddle in your family issues," he said, opening the door to the library. "And I really want to get back to reading. I've always wanted to read that book..."

"Wait," I said. "I have something to say..."

He crossed his arms. "What is it?"

"Thank you," I said. "I didn't know we could actually have a conversation that lasted more than thirty seconds. You're actually a really nice guy."

Despite the improvements he had shown during our conversation, Katashi still had a long way to go if really wanted to be more social.

"Tch," he muttered.

Without looking back _—_ or even saying goodbye, for that matter -, he reentered the library.

I pondered over whether I should also go inside and read a book, but ended up deciding not to. It'd probably feel like I was stalking Katashi.

 _He'd probably just yell at me..._ I thought. _And then Saeka would yell at me... And then Kaya would yell at me... Yeah, it's not worth it._

I walked back to the dormitory earlier than usual. It was about 6 pm at night. The reason for that was the dirty state of my room. I hadn't thrown out the trash nor had I actually made an effort to clean it up since our first day in that place. It was about time for me to tidy it up, since I definitely didn't want Masuta messing around there. It was going to be a long night...

* * *

That day, I didn't wake up to Masuta's morning announcement. Glancing outside my window, I noticed it was still really early in the morning.

I looked around my room, proud of my work. It looked considerably cleaner, although I still had to take the trash to the incinerator. I wanted to go back to sleep, but decided to do that chore instead. I would have to do it anyway at some point.

 _I'd rather do it now than leave_ _it for later_ , I thought.

_*Bing_ _!*_

I heard the sound of the doorbell. Wondering about who it could be, I opened the door.

"Hey, Daichi!" Amaya said, standing on the other side of the door. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Amaya," I replied. "What is it?"

"Aiko said she wanted to make a special lunch today," she explained. "She told me to wake everyone up early so that we could all help her in the cooking process."

 _There's nothing to celebrate, so why'd Aiko make a special lunch?_ I wondered.

"I see you're an early bird, Daichi!" she said. "You're one of the only ones that was already awake!"

"Waking up early is a good habit, you know?" I replied casually.

I didn't usually wake up early.

"Of course, I know that!" she exclaimed. "After all, I'm always the first one to wake up, haven't you noticed? The sooner I wake up, the more time I can spend solving mysteries!"

Amaya kept rambling about how waking up early helped her solve many crimes, though I didn't pay much attention.

"Either way, what's up with those trash bags?" she asked, pointing to the two black plastic bags behind me.

"I'm just taking the trash to the incinerator," I replied. "After doing that, I'll meet you all up in the dining hall, alright?"

"Sure," she said. "Well, see you later! I still have to wake up a few other people."

Amaya headed toward someone else's room as I picked up the two trash bags. They weren't too heavy, but I had still had to be careful while walking around carrying them.

I exited the dormitory and made my way to the incinerator room. The scenery that morning was beautiful. The morning sun was illuminating the mountains on the horizon, and I could see birds flying around in the distance.

_I wonder if Hayato knows what kinds of birds those are..._

Most of the time, I'd usually spend those early hours in my room until it was time to go to our daily morning meeting. Because of that, I wasn't able to truly enjoy the landscape that lay beyond the campus wall during that time of the day.

It was a surreal experience. Those small moments in life were the things that made me appreciate the fact that I was still alive.

_*Ding dong! Ding ding!*_

The sound of Masuta's usual morning announcement played. I didn't pay much attention to it, preferring to just enjoy the walk without any disturbances.

After a few minutes, I reached my destination. I had to use my back to open the door to the incinerator room, as my hands were already full.

The room itself was really dark. I tried to find the light-switch, but I couldn't remember where it was, so I eventually gave up.

Once my eyes got accustomed to the darkness, I noticed something sticking out from the incinerator. At first, I couldn't make out what it was. It looked like a small piece of plastic, similar to the kind found on the trash bags I was holding. There was also an unusual cut in the middle of it.

I walked towards the incinerator, trying to figure out what that thing was. Perhaps it was just trash that wasn't properly burnt.

_*Bang!*_

I had unconsciously dropped the two trash bags, only noticing that I had done so after hearing the loud sound of them hitting the ground. However, I wasn't startled by it. I didn't pay any attention to what was going on around me. My attention was completely focused on the scene in front of me.

"B-Blood," I stuttered, struggling to let that single word out of my mouth.

There was a lot of blood on the plastic sticking out of the incinerator, although it had already dried.

 _What... is this?_ I thought, my legs shaking. I wanted to scream, but decided to keep my composure. I could even feel my heart beating inside my chest. It was the first time I had truly been... scared. It seemed unreal. It wasn't anything like what'd you see in games or movies. There wasn't any sort of ominous music playing or people screaming.

There was only complete silence.

Afraid, I decided to investigate the incinerator itself. I carefully and slowly approached it and peeked inside, expecting the worst. My imagination ran wild, which only aggravated my fear.

"Let's... t-take a look... inside..."

To my relief, the only thing I could see inside the incinerator were ashes.

I sighed in relief.

"O-Of course," I said to myself. "Wh-What was I even th-thinking? Of course there would be ashes inside the incinerator. Ha! Silly me! Haha... Ha..."

Still, I certainly had to ask the others about the blood on that piece of plastic. Could someone be hurt?

I turned my back to the incinerator, meaning to pick up the trash bags I had left on the ground.

_*Ding dong! Dong ding!*_

The bell sound that preceded Masuta's announcements rang loudly.

My eyes widened.

My heart was beating faster than ever before.

I gulped.

Then, Masuta began speaking...

_"A body has been discovered! After a certain amount of time, a class trial will begin! Everyone, please gather in the incinerator room! Since this is your first investigation, I'll go there myself to explain how everything works. Don't be late, my friends!"_

I froze in place. Time seemed to stop.

"Wh-What... the fuck..." I said, almost whispering. "Th-This... c-can't be..."

I turned my eyes to the incinerator, hesitant.

 _There... isn't a body there_ , I thought.

I heard people running outside, their voices becoming louder and louder as they got closer to the incinerator room.

I looked closely at the scene in front of me, trying to analyse the situation the best I could. It was at that moment... I realised it.

**"** **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"**

The ashes...

I finally understood the meaning of the ashes inside the incinerator. Those ashes...

Those ashes were the remains of a dear friend.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Ashes of Hope - Daily Life [END]**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of Chapter One's daily life segment. The title has a whole new meaning now, wouldn't you say? Let me know if you have any theories!


	19. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Deadly Life - Part I

* * *

**Chapter 1: Ashes of Hope - Deadly Life**

* * *

I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I merely stood there, in the middle of the incinerator room, waiting for everyone else to arrive—well, everyone except for one person.

"...I-Is it really true?" Niko stuttered. "This is a lie, right?"

Some people stared at the crime scene, while others glanced at each other, as the doubts and suspicion that had been cramping up deep inside us began to surface.

"This is too much for me to handle..." Hayato said.

"Wh-Who's the big bad bully that pulled off this prank?!" Kaya exclaimed.

"It must be a m-misunderstanding on Masuta's part," Onoji said. "There's... no way..."

Aiko held his hand tightly. "Don't worry, Onoji. Everything is going to be all right. Just... don't let go off my hand, okay?"

Chihiro raised her hand, although hesitantly. "Um... Everyone... I think we should... determine who it is."

 _Yes, it's clear,_ I thought. _There's only one person missing._

I closed my eyes, clenching my fists. "It's Yoko. She's not here."

Yoko Nakou, the Ultimate Lucky Student. The day before, I'd talked to her in her room... And that was the last time I'd ever see her.

_If I had done something... Maybe this would have turned out differently._

Amaya covered her eyes with her beret. "If only we made it here sooner..."

Itaki was walking back and forth, angry. "Argh...! Why her?!"

"Itaki...?" I mumbled.

_I've never seen him like this..._

"...She was my best customer!" Itaki exclaimed.

_...Okay, that explains things._

"There is no point in dwelling on that now," Saeka said. "We do not even know if this could have been prevented-"

"Of course it could!" I shouted. "If... If we just..."

Katashi frowned. "Shut it, Abe. This was unavoidable. It was only a mere matter of time until it happened."

"We haven't given you the right to speak, asshole!" Jasmine yelled. "Heck, I bet _you_ were the one who killed Yoko!"

Katashi sighed. "...Was that an accusation I just heard?"

"You bet it was," Jasmine replied. "Are you ready to confess?!"

"Do you have evidence to back up your claims?"

Jasmine took a few steps forward. "You wanna see the evidence I got? Very well. Just let me punch you in your face and you'll see your fucking-"

Aiko put her hand on Jasmine's shoulder. "Calm down. This is not the time to-"

Jasmine shoved her hand off and pointed her finger towards Katashi. "Denki! Get rid of him! NOW!"

Denki, however, didn't listen to her. He could only stare at the ashes inside the incinerator.

"Those... c-c-can't be Yoko's, can they?" Denki said. "I-I mean... W-We don't know if-"

"It is the only option," Saeka interrupted. "Accept it. It is the only way to move forward."

He took a deep breath. And suddenly...

_*BAM!*_

"D-Denki?!" Jasmine shouted, running towards him.

He had collapsed, and the sound of his huge muscular body hitting the ground made a loud echoed in that cramped room.

_...What just happened?!_

"KIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Niko screamed.

Amaya quickly began examining him. "Don't worry, he'll be fine. He's just unconscious. This must have been too much for him..."

"Poor Denki..." Aiko mumbled.

Katashi looked away. "We... should probably take him to the infirmary."

"Y-Yeah..." Hayato agreed.

Jasmine put her hand on her forehead. "Sh-Shit... Th-There's no way I can believe this... Wh-Why... Why did we have to come to this goddamn campus?!"

"I-I need facts!" Kaya shouted. "Science only works with facts! U-Until I see concrete facts, I refuse to believe this! I refuse!"

"Then allow me to enlighten you!"

A voice came from the entrance of the room. We all turned around to see Masuta, as he slowly walked inside with a huge smile on his face.

"Upupupupu!" Masuta laughed. "Upupupupu, indeed! This is a dream come true! Ah, you can't even begin to imagine how long I've been waiting for this!"

I frowned. "We don't care about your dreams. Explain. What do we do now?"

"Oiya, careful there, Daichi, my friend!" he replied. "You should know the rules very well by now. Especially you. You know what happens now, don't you?"

I turned my head around. "Tch."

_This... This can't be real..._

"We... We are going to have a c-class trial," Chihiro said.

"Exactly, Chi-chan~!" Masuta replied.

She flinched. "Chi-chan...?"

"Don't you dare!" Jasmine shouted.

Onoji's eyes widened. "Wait... Does that mean... One of us... One of us really...!"

"Of course, Onoji boy!" Masuta replied.

 _What else could this mean?_ I thought. _It's really obvious what happened here._

The monocle Masuta wore in front of his left eye began to glow bright red. He stopped smiling.

"One of you killed Yoko Nakou, the Ultimate Lucky Student."

Masuta's serious tone sent shivers down my spine. In those brief moments of silence, time seemed to stop, as we processed what he had just said.

"Huh?!" Hayato shouted. "Th-That is impossible!"

"Oh, but I assure you!" he replied. "One of you is responsible for this."

Nobody dared to say a single word in response. Masuta promptly grabbed a unique-looking tablet from his pocket. Surprisingly, though, he struggled to do that simple task. It was then I noticed that both of his hands were entirely covered in bandages.

_...What are those? Did he get hurt somewhere?_

"Um... What are those bandages?" Onoji asked, noticing the same thing as me.

Masuta hid his hands behind his back. "Silence! Don't interrupt while I'm talking!"

"B-But you weren't talking..."

Masuta turned the tablet on. It displayed an image of Yoko, with her entire body painted in a neon-pink colour. Next to it was a photo of the ashes inside the incinerator, with some lines of text below it.

"A... M-Monokuma File...?" Niko said.

"A Kikai File," Masuta corrected her. "Don't take away my credit! I've designed this thing just for you guys..."

_*Bing!*_

Something rang inside everyone's pockets. We all took out our e-Handbooks. The "evidence" tab had become available. However, it was still a mostly-empty list. In fact, there was only a single item listed.

\---

_** Daichi's Notes #1 - Kikai File #1 ** _

**_The victim of this case is Yoko Nakou, the Ultimate Lucky Student. Her corpse—or what remains of it—was discovered at approximately 7.15 am this morning. The entire thing has been burnt to ashes, quite literally. Thus, no further examination of her injuries prior to the incineration could be conducted. The time of death is also unknown. Her e-Handbook was burnt alongside her body, and nothing remains of it._ **

_\---_

"As you can see, you all have access to this information from your e-Handbooks," Masuta said. "The Kikai File shows some useful information about the crime. Now, if I may, I will explain how things work from-"

"We aren't that dumb, y'know," Amaya interrupted. "We can figure everything out on our own, thank you very much."

"Did I say you had a choice in the matter?" he replied, annoyed. "I didn't, did I?"

With the exception of the unconscious Denki, we all looked at Masuta.

"Ahem!" he began. "You will have a certain amount of time to investigate. After that, the class trial will begin! Oh, and participation is obligatory, so don't even think of not coming."

"We have to find out who did it," Itaki said. "Is that correct?"

"Yup~!".

Itaki raised his head. "Thankfully, we have quite a few people here who have some kind of experience in the area. If any of you need financial support to conduct your investigation, please contact me."

"Uh... I don't think we'll need it," Aiko said, "but thanks, anyway."

Niko frowned. "H-How can you think about money in this situation?! Your life is on the line as well, you know! Don't you care about it?!"

"Of course I do," he replied. "That's why I'm offering help. After all, I can't make money if I'm dead."

"Well, he's not wrong," Amaya said.

Hayato raised his hand. "W-Wait! B-But I don't know how to investigate! Not all of us are detectives like Amaya..."

"Don't worry about it, my friend!" Masuta said. "I've made investigating easier than ever for you all!"

"...How so?" Amaya asked, intrigued.

Masuta pointed towards my e-Handbook. "Take a look at the 'evidence' tab on your e-Handbook! See the plus icon on the bottom-left corner of the screen? If you click on it, you'll add a new item to your list! Those are your 'notes'. Take notes of the evidence you find so that you can bring it up during the trial! I've even installed a camera function so that you can take photos of anything you want! I'm sure it'll be useful."

Amaya grinned. "It sure will..."

"We're not here to have fun...!" Onoji exclaimed. "I don't want to die..."

Amaya sighed. "I know that... But we've got a real mystery on our hands, guys! There's a killer in this very room! Aren't you pumped to finally bring them to justice?! To avenge our friend's death?!"

"Uh... No," Onoji replied.

"C'mon!" Amaya shouted. "We must do this! For our own lives... and for Yoko's!"

Amaya was right. One of us had committed an unforgivable crime. And it was our job to bring them to justice. However...

"Hold on," Aiko said. "If we bring them to justice... Doesn't that mean they're going to-"

"It's either us or them," Amaya replied. "And I'm not going to let it be us."

Aiko opened her mouth to say something in response, but nothing came out. Instead, she turned her head towards Onoji. "Stay strong, will you?"

"A-Aiko..."

She raised her head. "Okay, everyone! We're ready!"

"A-Are you sure?" Hayato stuttered. "I don't have any idea how we're gonna do this."

"...We aren't going to... d-die, are we...?" Niko said.

"Of course not!" Aiko replied. "It's thirteen against one! Well, maybe, thirteen against two, if you count Masuta... But still! The odds are on _our_ side!"

Katashi frowned. "The odds of being kidnapped by a crazy monocle-wearing maniac are super low, but look at where we are now."

"S-So rude!" Masuta cried.

Saeka raised her head. "If we disregard Masuta's impertinent interruptions, this whole ordeal could actually become quite interesting... I am ready." 

"All right, then!" Masuta declared. "I advise you all to begin your investigation right away! You're working under a time limit, after all."

And with that, he swiftly exited the incinerator room. His hands were both hidden in his pockets, but I clearly remember them being covered in bandages.

 _That must mean something,_ I thought.

Deciding to test this new function of the e-Handbook, I created a new item on my "evidence" list, right under the one named "Kikai File #1".

\---

 ** _Daichi's Notes #2_ ** ** _\- Masuta's Bandages_ **

**_When talking in the incinerator room, Masuta's hands were entirely covered in bandages. He kept trying to hide that fact from us the entire time._ **

_\---_

After typing down information on my e-Handbook, I joined everyone as we discussed what we should do.

"First things first," Aiko said. "What should we do about Denki? He's still unconscious..."

Jasmine was standing next to him, his head laying on her lap. "I-I'll take him to the infirmary."

Aiko nodded her head. "Good, then. Moving on-"

"H-Hold on a sec!" Kaya exclaimed. "We can't know for certain if she's innocent! What would she do to Denki if she's... I-I mean, I, the great Kaya Suzuya, am concerned about what could happen to Mr. Kabayashi! Wahahaha!"

"What are you insinuating, you cocky little shit?!" Jasmine yelled. "I wouldn't do anything to him! To you, on the other hand..."

"Waaaaaaaaaahhhh!" Kaya screamed. "P-Please, don't bully me!"

Aiko stepped forward. "Calm down, this is not the time for fighting."

"Even though I hate to admit it," Saeka said, "Kaya is right, for once. Another person should go with Jasmine. No... Two people should accompany her."

"...There could accomplices, right?" Onoji said.

"The probability is low," Amaya replied. "There's nothing to gain from being an accomplice. Still, we should consider that possibility."

"Whatever," Jasmine muttered.

Chihiro raised her hand shyly. "Um... I can look after Denki with Jasmine."

"Me too," Itaki said. "After all, I always wish only the very best for my customers."

 _Sure..._ I thought.

"Then it's settled," Aiko said. "Jasmine, Chihiro and Itaki will look after Denki while we investigate."

"Now," Saeka said, "I suppose we should discuss our investigation procedures. For instance, at least three people should be watching the crime scene at any given time."

Amaya nodded. "I second that. That way the killer won't be able to temper with the evidence."

Kaya laughed. "Wahahahaha! So be it! My best friend Saeka and I are going to stay here!"

"Saeka seems like a good addition to the investigation team, though," Hayato said. "She wears glasses, so she must be really smart."

 _Niko wears glasses, too,_ _though..._

"I believe there are more than enough capable people investigating," Saeka said. "Furthermore, I do not trust any of you to properly guard the crime scene."

 _Besides, someone must keep an eye on Kaya..._ I thought.

"I-I'll stay, too, then..." Niko said.

"We've got our three people!" Amaya said triumphantly.

Niko lowered her head. "Um... Everyone... I... I-I think you should investigate in pairs... Just to be sure."

"That's fine with me," Aiko said. "What do you think, Onoji? Will you be my pair?"

"Yes, Aiko..." Onoji replied, "though I don't think I'll be of much use..."

At that moment, I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Hayato facing me.

"What do you say, Daichi?" he asked. "Want to be my pair?"

"Sure," I replied. "Just make sure not to disturb the evidence, okay?"

Everyone was ready to begin investigating.

"Took you long enough," Katashi sighed.

Jasmine muttered an apology to Katashi before carrying Denki to the infirmary with the help of Chihiro and Itaki.

Saeka, Kaya and Niko stayed in the incinerator room to make sure no one disturbed the crime scene.

The rest of us began investigating in pairs, with the obvious exception of Katashi, who insisted on going alone.

_This is the place where it all really begins...!_

* * *

"So... Where should we start, Daichi?" Hayato asked me.

"Well, I suppose we should begin with the crime scene itself," I replied. "Right here... The incinerator room."

The incinerator room wasn't that big, and it was made even smaller by the presence of the incinerator itself. It occupied about half of the room.

Kaya was talking to Saeka, though the latter didn't seem to be paying much attention to what she was saying. Instead, her eyes focused on her e-Handbook. From time to time, she glanced at the other people in the room, making sure no one was doing anything suspicious.

On the other hand, Niko was awkwardly sitting in a corner, her head between her legs.

 _That isn't what I'd call "guarding the crime scene", but I'll let it slide_ , I thought, wondering about what was going on inside the little blogger's head.

Hayato pointed towards the big machine in front of us. "Should we take a look?"

"Of course," I replied.

As soon as I peeked inside the incinerator, I felt an urge to vomit, knowing that the ashes inside were once Yoko's body.

"The file said it all... There sure is nothing left," Hayato said. "This... This is bad..."

Hayato's serious tone was something I didn't expect. The only time I'd seen him so serious was when he'd told me about his past on our first day on the campus.

He sighed. "I wonder... Did she suffer?"

I didn't know how to reply.

He continued, "Burning someone alive...! What a horrible thing to do! We must find out who did this, Daichi!"

Even though he was more serious than usual, Hayato's bright energetic personality still shone through. Despite being annoyingly childish sometimes, he still managed to make me calmer in those kinds of situations.

Not wanting to think about how Yoko had felt during the time of the murder, I took another look at the black plastic that was sticking out from the incinerator.

"I wonder where this came from..." I said.

"It's from a trash bag," Hayato said, confident.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked.

"Th-Think about it!" he replied, trying to figure out a way to explain his logic. "I-I mean...!"

"Don't worry, Hayato," I said. "I also think it's from a trash bag. After all, the incinerator is the place where we burn our trash."

He smiled. "Oh... I see... That's exactly what I thought! So it's just something from a trash bag, right? Since there's nothing out-of-ordinary about that, let's move onto-"

"Hold on a second," I interrupted. "There's definitely something weird about this."

"Huh?" he mumbled, confused. "What is it?"

I raised an eyebrow. "The blood, of course. It's surrounding the big cut in the middle of the plastic. Can't you see it?"

Hayato examined the piece of plastic more closely. "Now that you mention it.... There _is_ some dry blood there! That's amazing, Daichi! How were you able to notice that?"

 _How were you able to *not* notice it?!_

"Anyhow, this must mean something," I said. "Do you have any ideas?"

Hayato pressed his two hands on his forehead and raised his left leg, standing only on his right foot.

"What are you doing?" I asked, confused.

"This is my deep thinking pose!" he replied. "I'm able to think better when I'm like this!"

 _...What?_ _There's no way that's scientifically accurate..._

After a few moments of silence, Hayato reopened his eyes. "I see!"

"So?" I asked. "Did you think of anything?"

"Nope!" he replied. "This doesn't make any sense, no matter how hard I think about it."

 _Then what was all that stuff about "the thinking pose" about_ _?!_

He continued, "Buuuuut... I _did_ come up with something! Since nothing makes sense, that must mean Kaya's coma theory is right after all!"

I sighed. "Just... Shut up, okay? If you don't have anything to add, then stay silent."

"Did you think of any possibilities, Daichi?" he asked, ignoring me.

I smiled. "Actually, I did. I think there's a very simple explanation for this."

"Wait!" he shouted. "Let me guess! Oh, I get it now! Masuta had those bandages on his hands, didn't he? That could only mean he was inside-"

"The trash bag?" I interrupted. "Are you serious?"

"Yes!"

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Hayato, but that doesn't make any sense."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"He's not dead, remember?"

"Oh..." he replied. "Yeah... I'd forgotten about that."

_You can't just forget stuff like that?!_

"What about the rest of the trash bag, though?" Hayato asked, changing the subject.

"It was probably burnt alongside Yoko," I explained. "It's the most logical explanation."

He sighed. "Let's just move on, okay? I don't really understand what this piece of plastic has to do with anything, and I don't think we have enough evidence to conclude anything yet."

_...Are you sure about that?_

"All right," I said. "I'll just make some notes."

\---

**_Daichi's Notes #3 - Black Plastic_ **

**_A black piece of plastic found sticking out of the incinerator. It was probably ripped from a trash bag. There's dry blood surrounding a cut in the middle of it._ **

\---

As I finished writing on my e-Handbook, I noticed that Saeka was also fiddling with hers. However, she didn't seem to be taking notes.

"Um... Excuse me, Saeka," I said. "What exactly are you doing?"

Her e-Handbook displayed the image of the campus map.

"The map?" Hayato asked.

Saeka nodded. "Yes, I am currently examining the map. Why is that of any importance?"

"What does the map have to do with all of this?" I asked. "I don't see why it'd matter."

"Me neither..." Hayato added.

Saeka glanced at us, observing our expressions.

"I see..." she said. "I shall explain it, then. The main building and the dormitory are close to one another, but the distance between them and the incinerator room is really large in comparison."

"I see..." Hayato said. "That means... Er..."

_...!_

"There's a big chance that someone saw the killer!" I concluded.

"Indeed," Saeka replied. "Even though it was dark, there must be someone who saw the killer. I am positive of it."

"That's interesting..." I said. "Thanks for the info, Saeka."

\---

_ **Daichi's Notes #4 - School Map** _

_**This is the school map. It might be relevant somehow.** _

_**1\. Main Building** _   
_**2\. Dormitory** _   
_**3\. The little area with Hayato's favourite retro-looking benches** _   
_**4\. Temple** _   
_**5\. Incinerator Room** _   
_**6\. Laundry Room** _

_\---_

I looked at Saeka. "Since we are talking about seeing or not seeing the killer... Can I have your testimony?"

Saeka sighed. "I understand. Very well. I do not think it will be of much importance, however, as I spent the entire day in the library. In fact, I only headed back to the dorms at around midnight. Kaya and Katashi were with me most of the time."

"Kaya and... Katashi?" Hayato said. "That's weird. He's never around other people, much less someone like Kaya."

"Don't worry, I can confirm it," I said. "I talked to Katashi right outside the library yesterday."

Saeka continued, "Kaya left at around 3 pm to give Yoko the sleeping drug. It was called _Miz Arfod_ , if I am not mistaken. That must have taken about twenty minutes, at most. She came back to the library once she was done. As for Katashi, he too only left the library once, when he decided to talk to you, Daichi."

"Did they leave the library alongside you?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied, "they both accompanied me to the dormitory."

 _I guess Katashi, Kaya and Saeka have a solid alibi_ , I thought. _After all, the door to the incinerator room is locked at 10 pm, as stated by the rules. They wouldn't have time to go there._

"Thanks for your cooperation, Saeka," I said.

"Yeah! You were really useful!" Hayato added.

Saeka gave us a faint smile. "I only did what is necessary."

\---

_ **Daichi's notes #5 - Saeka's Account** _

**_Saeka, Kaya and Katashi were in the library the entire day of the crime. They headed back to the dormitory at midnight. Kaya left the library for about twenty minutes at 3 pm. Katashi was only away from the library for about ten minutes while the two of us talked._ **

\---

_ **Daichi's notes #6 - Night-Time Rules** _

**_The rules state that the incinerator room is locked during night-time. That means no one could have entered it from 10 pm to 7 am._ **

\---

"If I may," Saeka said, "I would like to ask you a favour... Could you interrogate Kaya for me, please?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Kaya? Why?"

"My intuition tells me that her actions might be more intertwined with this case than one might initially believe. Unfortunately, I cannot get the information necessary to confirm it myself."

"Why is that?" Hayato asked. "She's right there, you know?"

Kaya was standing next to the door, looking outside.

Saeka looked away. "Could... Could you please do this for me? I do not want to deal with her... Not now."

"I understand," I replied. "We'll do that."

Saeka averted her eyes. "I appreciate it. I wish you both luck in your investigation."

"Thanks, Saeka!" Hayato said.

After that, we carefully approached Kaya.

As soon as Kaya noticed us, she laughed, "Wahahahaha! What could you possibly want from me, the great Kaya Suzuya?! Wahahahahaha!"

 _Yeah, I understand why Saeka wouldn't want to deal with her,_ I thought. _But now that I'm here... Argh! Why did she have to shove this problem onto us?!_

"Um..." I mumbled. "We're here to collect your testimony. Could you-"

"My testimony?!" she interrupted. "I-It can't be!"

_...What?_

Kaya took a few steps back. "Y-You don't think I did it, do you!? I-I promise! I didn't do anything!"

"N-No!" Hayato stuttered. "We don't think it was you! We just-"

"I was framed!" she exclaimed. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it! I was framed!"

I crossed my arms. "But you did give Yoko her sleeping pills, didn't you? Um... What were they called again? _Miz Arfod_ , was it...?"

"U-Uh..." Kaya stuttered. 

I crossed my arms. "Don't deny it."

"I-I... Yes, I went to her room," Kaya replied, "b-but _you_ went there afterwards, Mr. Abe! Ha! That could only mean one thing... You're the killer, aren't you!?"

Kaya's stance changed from defensive to accusatory in less than a second.

"Kaya," I continued, ignoring her accusation, "did you see anything weird when getting the sleeping pills?"

"N-No!" she shouted. "I, the great Kaya Suzuya, didn't see anything! I just went to the infirmary, got the medicine and then headed to Ms. Nakou's room! See?! I didn't do anything!"

"That was around 3 pm, right?"

Kaya nodded. "Precisely! I spent the rest of the day with my best friend Saeka in the library!"

 _And I was the one who brought the bottle of sleeping pills back to the infirmary,_ I thought.

"Wait, wasn't Katashi with you two?" Hayato asked.

"Oh, yeah, that big bad bully was there," she replied, "but he's not important."

 _I guess that confirms Saeka's testimony_...

\---

_ **Daichi's notes #7 - Kaya's Account** _

**_Kaya went to Yoko's room and gave her a bottle of Miz Arfod at around 3 pm. She got it directly from the infirmary. After Yoko took the sleeping pills, I brought the bottle back to the infirmary._ **

_\---_

"Thanks for helping us, Kaya," I said.

"Th-That's it?" Kaya replied, relieved. "Ah, I'm glad... I-I mean- Wahahahaha! The great Kaya Suzuya is the most reliable source of information you'll ever find! Well, if you exclude my best friend Saeka, that is."

Leaving Kaya behind, I looked around the incinerator room once again.

"Niko seems a bit upset," Hayato said. "Should we check up on her?"

Niko was still sitting in the corner of the room, covering her face with her white and orange cap.

_...A bit?_

"Yes, I think we-" I replied.

Before I even finished my sentence, Hayato had already begun running towards her.

"NIKO!" he shouted.

"Kiyaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Niko screamed, startled. "Wh-What was that for?!"

"N-Niko!" Hayato said. "Are you all right?"

Niko took a deep breath, before replying, "I guess..."

Seeing Niko without her natural happiness was really disheartening.

"Hey!" Hayato said. "Cheer up! C'mon, wanna play a game?"

"N-No..." she replied. "Hayato, you know this is not the time for games..."

His expression became more serious. "Then, tell me. Tell me why you're scared."

"With people like Amaya around," I said, "I'm sure it'll be easy to find out who did it. You don't have anything to worry about."

Niko looked away. "That's... not it..."

"Tell me, Niko," he insisted. "You know you can trust me."

"N-No! I-I mean..." she stuttered. "Er... Um...! How?!! H-How can I know I can trust you?!"

"You know me, Niko!" he said. "We've been playing together since our first day here! We're friends, right?"

"Um..." she mumbled.

Hayato looked at me. "Right, Daichi? We're all friends, right?"

"Y-Yes..." I replied. "We're all... friends..."

Were we, though? I wasn't sure what to think about it. We knew that one of us was responsible for Yoko's death.

"Niko," Hayato said. "I'm here for you. You can count on me. And you have Daichi as well! And Aiko, and Amaya and the others! So don't be scared, okay?"

Niko brushed the tears off her face. "H-Hayato... Th-Thank you..."

 _Hayato might be an airhead,_ I thought, _but he seriously knows how to cheer people up. I guess that more than makes up for it._

"Erm... Niko, if you don't mind..." I said. "Would you please tell us what you were doing yesterday night? We need to gather everyone's testimonies."

Niko nodded. "O-Okay. Let's see... I was playing tag with Hayato until around 6.30 pm."

"I can confirm that!" Hayato said. "Then, we ate some stuff at the dining hall and went back to our rooms."

"I think we headed to the dorms at around 7.30 pm," Niko continued.

"I see..." I said. "That's enough. Thank you."

Hayato smiled as we said goodbye to Niko. She smiled as well, but she still looked somewhat uncomfortable. Her eyes... Yes, she definitely still eyed us with suspicion. Or at least, that's what I thought. For the time being, I decided to ignore that, and focus on the information I had just gathered.

 _They don't have an alibi for the period after 7.30 pm,_ I thought. _There's no point in taking notes about their testimony. It was completely useless..._

"Where should we go next?" Hayato asked.

"I have an idea," I replied. "But first, I'll just take a picture of the crime scene. Just in case..."

"Uh... All right, then!"

I held up my e-Handbook and took a picture with it.

_*Click*_

\---

**_ Daichi's Notes #8 - Crime Scene Photo _ **

**_This is a photo of the incinerator room._ **

****

\---

"Okay, Daichi!" Hayato said. "I know exactly where you're thinking we should investigate next... the infirmary!"

I grinned. "How did you guess?"

He flinched. "Er... Really? Oh... Haha! I guess I just have some really good intuition!"

 _You meant it as a joke, didn't you?_ I thought.

"Whatever it is, you're right," I said. "There's some stuff I want to check there. And we ought to pay Denki a visit."

"I hope he's doing okay..."

* * *

Hayato and I left the incinerator room and made our way to the main building. Once there, we went up the stairs to the second floor.

"The infirmary..." Hayato said. "It's been a while since I've last been there."

"You should be thankful for that," I replied.

Once we stepped into the infirmary, we were greeted by Chihiro.

"Hello there," she said quietly. "How is your investigation coming along?"

"Fine, I suppose," I replied. "Anyway, how's Denki doing?"

"He just woke up," she said, pointing towards the bed behind her.

Jasmine and Itaki were standing next to the bed. The former seemed concerned with Denki's condition, whereas the latter didn't show any emotion whatsoever.

"Hayato and Daichi!" Denki called us.

"Denki!" Hayato replied, smiling. "I'm glad to see you're doing fine."

"Y-Yes, I'm better now," he said, smiling. "Although I'm still a bit dizzy..."

"He'd fainted from shock back in the incinerator room," Itaki said. "Thankfully, it was nothing major."

Jasmine sighed. "He's always been like that... Ah..."

"I-I'm sorry..." Denki replied. "I shouldn't have left guys on your own back there..."

"That's not an issue," Chihiro said.

Denki looked at the ceiling. "Th-They've already told me everything. So... Y-Yoko really died... I-I... If only I..."

"Denki..." Jasmine sighed. "You know it's not your fault."

"B-But I'm the strongest one here!" Denki exclaimed, sobbing. "I-I could have protected-"

"The past is the past," Itaki said. "There's nothing we can do about it."

"B-But..."

_*Bam!*_

Full of anger, Jasmine slammed her hand on the wall next to her.

"Let me make one thing clear!" she shouted. "The son of a bitch that killed Yoko is the guilty one here! So, don't blame yourself when there's no need to! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Denki stuttered. "I-I mean, m-madam!"

Hayato crossed his arms. "We mustn't forget that this is all Masuta's doing. He's the one that trapped us here in the first place."

"B-But one of _us_ killed Yoko..." Chihiro said.

"How do we know that for sure?" Itaki said. "Masuta could still be the one responsible for the murder."

Chihiro looked away. "B-But the rules-"

"Masuta has already broken all kinds of rules by kidnapping us," he interrupted. "How do you know that he won't break his own rules?"

"I... I don't know..." she said.

 _Honestly, I think Chihiro is right_ , I thought. _Although it seems more likely that Masuta did it, I don't think the answer to this case will be that simple._

"That bastard..." Jasmine muttered. "I swear I'll kill him with my own two hands one day..."

"We must first survive," Itaki said. "Otherwise, we won't be able to see another day. If we don't win the class trial, we will all die a very gruesome-"

"Could you please shut up?" I interrupted.

He didn't reply.

I sighed. "Anyway... May I ask you all your testimonies?"

"I-I was with Jasmine yesterday..." Denki said. "B-But we parted ways around 6 pm... I think... I went to my room right afterwards..."

 _That doesn't sound that useful..._ I thought.

Jasmine frowned. "What's up with that disappointed look, green-hair?"

"U-Um..." I stuttered.

"Ha!" she laughed. "I haven't told you _my_ side of the testimony, have I? Just so you know, I have the most useful testimony out of everyone here! After all... I saw the killer!"

_Wait...! SHE WHAT?!_

"WHAT?!" Hayato shouted. "You saw the killer?!"

"Care to tell us who you saw?" I asked.

"Well..." she sighed, slightly annoyed. "Technically, I didn't see them... I saw their shadow."

"Their... shadow?" I asked.

"After Denki returned to his room," she said, "I decided to head to the shop so that I could buy something for myself... Honestly, this place can get kinda boring, so I was thinking of getting a deck of playing cards or something."

"I can help you with that!" Itaki said. "If you need something to entertain yourself, I have-"

"Not the time," she interrupted.

"Please, go on," I said. "We don't have that much time on our hands."

Jasmine sighed. "Anyway, as I was walking towards the shop, I heard the sound of someone running into the dining hall. Naturally, I turned around. That's when I saw it..."

"Th-The shadow of the killer..." Denki said.

"I found it a bit suspicious," Jasmine said, "so I decided to see who it was. However, when I entered the dining hall, there was no one there. They had completely vanished. That happened at around 9 pm."

"Couldn't they just be hiding inside the kitchen?" I said.

"Maybe..." she replied. "I remember the kitchen door being closed, at the very least. I didn't check if it was locked or not."

"Nevertheless, your testimony will be really important during the trial," I said. "Thank you, Jasmine."

"Yeah, that was by far the best testimony we've heard!" Hayato added.

"I know that already, dumbass," Jasmine replied, grinning.

 _Ugh_ , _her ego is way too big,_ I thought. _Still, her testimony could definitely be important. However, it may also end up being totally useless. After all, there's no guarantee that the person she saw was the killer. We must also consider the fact that there's nothing to back it up... Anyhow, we'll see if this amounts to anything during the trial._

\---

**_ Daichi's Notes #9 - Jasmine's Account _ **

**_Jasmine saw the shadow of someone running into the dining hall at around 9 pm. She went there to see who it was, but they had already disappeared from sight. The kitchen door was closed._ **

\---

"Itaki," I said, "it's your turn."

"100 K-Coins," he replied. "That's the price you need to pay."

_I should have expected it..._

"Huh?!" Hayato gasped. "You can't do that!"

Jasmine frowned. "Can't you just be a normal person for one minute?!"

"Time is money," Itaki replied. "I try to profit as much as I can, capitalising on every minute of my life. With that in mind, I'm afraid I cannot-"

"Shut the fuck up!" she shouted, meaning to slap him in the face. However, Denki grabbed her hand before she could act.

"C-Calm down, please," he said. "Hurting him won't change his attitude."

"Hmpf," Jasmine muttered. "Whatever. He probably just stayed in his room all day, anyway."

Itaki remained unfazed by Jasmine's actions.

"So, do we have a deal, Daichi?" Itaki asked, stretching his hand.

I took a few steps back. "Hell no."

"So be it," he said, closing his eyes.

 _This guy really creeps me out sometimes_ , I thought.

"Um... Chihiro," I said, trying not to be rude. "Could you please tell us your testimony?"

Chihiro looked away, teary-eyed. "I don't think it'll be that useful..."

"D-Don't worry," I said. "It doesn't have to be that useful..."

She took a deep breath. "...Fine. I... I walked around the school... And I went to my room at 8 pm..."

I stayed silent for a few seconds, expecting her to continue.

"...That's about it," she said. "How was it?"

"Um..." I mumbled.

Suddenly, she burst into tears. "I k-knew it! S-Sorry for being so useless..."

"N-No!" I exclaimed. "Y-You see, I... I..."

Despite all my efforts, Chihiro continued to cry loudly.

"That was a rude move," Jasmine said, shaking her head.

"Eh?!" I gasped.

"Making a girl cry..." Itaki said. "Unbelievable."

"Eh?!"

"You c-could have worded it a bit better..." Denki said.

"EH?!"

_Did I say something wrong?!_

As I tried to explain myself, Hayato stepped forward, walking in Chihiro's direction.

"Listen, Chihiro," he said. "You're not useless! You have a great mind, something that lots of people _—_ including myself _—_ don't have!"

She seemed to calm down after his speech.

 _How could he calm her down so fast_ _?!_ I wondered. _What did I do wrong!?_

"Th-There's one thing I know..." Chihiro stuttered, wiping off her tears. "One thing that might be useful..."

"What is it?" Hayato asked.

"I... I asked M-Masuta about it..." she said. "I bumped into him when I was going to the bathroom shortly after we brought Denki here..."

Jasmine stood up. "You what?!"

"Th-That must have been dangerous!" Denki exclaimed. "Especially after what happened to Yoko! Th-That guy is up to no good!"

Chihiro flinched. "I-I know that, but... Anyway, I went up to him and asked... uh... I asked what would happen to a person's room after they died..."

"Why?" Itaki asked. "I don't see any particular reason as to why that would be relevant."

 _I have to agree with Itaki there..._ I thought, scratching my head.

"It just sorta crossed my mind..." Chihiro said. "But that's not important. Masuta... He told me that once a person dies, the door to their room unlocks immediately!"

Chihiro exclaimed those last few words loudly, full of confidence. However, everyone in the room still didn't seem to understand what was the importance of that fact.

"That might be relevant... I think," she said. "I'm sorry for taking your time..."

"No, it's fine," I said. "Your information was really important. I'll even write it down. See?"

I took out my e-Handbook and made another note. That action alone seemed to cheer Chihiro up, even if just a little.

\---

**_ Daichi's Notes #10 - Dead Person's Room _ **

**_Once a person dies, the door to their room unlocks immediately._ **

\---

I made sure to write it exactly the way Chihiro had said, word for word.

"See?" I said, showing her what I had written. 

She smiled. "I'm glad, Daichi..."

Jasmine put her hand on my shoulder. "It's good to see that you're buddies now, but don't you have to investigate?"

"Oh, right," I replied, snapping back to my usual self. "Hayato, come over here."

"Are we done with the infirmary?" he asked.

"Not yet," I replied. "There's still... this."

I walked towards one of the infirmary cupboards and swiftly opened it. Inside, I could see the bottles that Kaya had talked to me about when we first met.

Carefully, I picked them up, one by one, making sure to fully read their labels.

"Do you think these drugs were used in the murder?" Hayato asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," I replied. "Maybe not intentionally, though."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Kaya," I said. "She gave Yoko some sleeping pills."

"Yeah, but why are you checking all of the bottles?" he said.

"Just making sure."

\---

**_Daichi's Notes #11 - Infirmary Bottles_ **

**_Bottles found inside a cupboard in the infirmary. They are the following:_ **

_**-** _ _**Foeti Poesied:** _ _**"When consumed alongside another drug, it makes it so that the effects of said drug only manifest themselves after a certain amount of time. This time varies from drug to drug."** _

_**-** _ _**Miz Arfod:** _ _**"** _ _**When consumed, it makes one fall asleep almost instantly. Recommended for people with insomnia."** _

_**-** _ _ **Bedimmed Oreo:** _ _**"Orange-flavoured medicine for stomach ache. Delicious!"** _

**-** **_Aldo Compo:_ _"_** _**Fatal poison. Symptoms right before death include fatigue, bloodshot eyes and blueish skin.** _ **_Kills a few minutes after consumption."_ **

_**-** _ _ **Opmoc Odal:** _ _**"Antidote for Aldo Compo poison. It must be consumed within five minutes to be effective."** _

\---

_These things sure are complicated_ , I thought.

With that out of the way, Hayato and I said goodbye to Jasmine, Denki, Itaki and Chihiro. They said they were going to look after Denki until it was time for the class trial.

Chihiro, in particular, seemed oddly happy. She waved her hand excitedly as we left the room.

While we were making our way through the main building, Hayato turned to me with a curious look on his face. "Say, Daichi... I still don't get why the stuff Chihiro said is important..."

"Me neither," I replied.

He gasped. "Huh?! But you even wrote it down on your e-Handbook!"

"I didn't write it down because it was important," I said. "Couldn't you see how Chihiro calmed down after I showed her what I'd written?"

"Oooohhh, I get it now!" he said. "You did it to cheer up Chihiro! That's so nice of you!"

I looked away, embarrassed. "That doesn't matter right now. We still have a lot of work to do."

"Where do we go now?"

"Hm..." I mumbled. "To Yoko's room. That seems like the most logical next step."

"All right!"

* * *

Hayato and I were greeted by sunlight as we stepped out of the main building. Once outside, I noticed Amaya and Touka standing next to the bushes and trees located near the dormitory entrance.

Hayato pointed his finger towards them. "Hm? What are they doing?"

"They've probably found a clue," I replied. "Let's ask them."

As we came closer to the two girls, I could see a big grin in Amaya's face. On the other hand, Touka seemed completely indifferent towards whatever they were staring at.

"Touka, this is incredible!" Amaya exclaimed. "Truly incredible!"

"Um... Amaya?" I said. "Did you find something?"

Amaya nodded her head excitedly. "Yeah! You two should see it, too! It's most certainly decisive evidence!"

Hayato flinched. "D-Decisive evidence?! Th-That's-"

"The best thing we could have ever hoped for!" Amaya exclaimed. "Hurry up! Your minds will explode when you see it!"

The evidence Amaya had been talking about was hidden amidst the bushes. It was really hard to see from afar, as there were several leaves and branches covering it up. After moving them aside, I could finally understand why she had been so excited.

I gasped. "This is... unbelievable."

The case had just become even more complicated.

_What... is this...?_

A pool of blood laid before us. It was already dry, but it was clearly there. The red liquid was easily distinguishable from all of the shades of green surrounding it.

"Wh-Why is there blood here?!" Hayato shouted. "This doesn't make any sense! This must be a mistake, right?"

Amaya crossed her arms. "The evidence doesn't lie! Something must have happened here last night!"

As the two of them argued, I took a closer look at the scene in front of me. Next to the pool of blood, I saw the object that most likely was the cause of it.

"A... kitchen knife?" I said, examining it. 

_Everybody has access to the kitchen_ , I thought. _I guess this doesn't really help much in narrowing down the list of suspects._

There were still clear traces of blood on the knife _—_ it had not been long since it was last used. Moreover, they seemed to match the blood in front of us.

 _I think it's really clear what happened here..._ I thought. _Someone got stabbed by this knife right here, behind the bushes. No one would be able to witness it. The important question now is... How does this relate to Yoko's murder?_

I turned around. Hayato and Amaya were still arguing over whether that was truly important to the case or not.

"H-How do you know Yoko was the one who was stabbed?" he asked. "For all we know, it could have been someone else entirely!"

Amaya crossed her arms. "Did you see anyone with a large stab wound recently? Of course not. And with this much blood lost, I think whoever it belonged to must have faced some serious issues. If left untreated, a stab wound like this would be enough to kill you."

"S-Still..." he mumbled. "I don't see how this is relevant to Yoko's case... Her body was found in the incinerator room, after all."

"There must be a logical explanation for this," I said. "And it must be connected to Yoko's murder... We just have to figure out how."

Amaya grinned. "Now you see why this is incredible, right? This opens up so many possibilities! This case just got a whole lot better!"

"H-How does complexity make a murder any better?!" Hayato shouted.

 _I know how unlikely it seems_ , I thought. _But this has to be linked to Yoko's murder. There are no other options I can think of._

_\---_

**_ Daichi's Notes #12 - Pool of Blood _ **

**_Big pool of dry blood found amidst the bushes and trees near the dormitory entrance. As a result, it is really hard to see from afar._ **

\---

**_ Daichi's Notes #13 - Kitchen Knife _ **

_**A knife with traces of blood on it. It was also found near the dormitory entrance, next to the pool of blood. It most likely came from the kitchen.** _

\---

Amaya looked at me. "So, did you guys have any luck? Did you find any important clues?"

"Some stuff at the crime scene... A few testimonies..." I replied "And I guess that's about it... I don't think we've found anything that could specifically point us towards a single person..."

 _I suppose that's a little disappointing,_ I thought. _I'm still not sure who the culprit is... Well, maybe we'll find some more clues. The investigation period is not over yet._

"Well, it's no fun if the culprit is obvious," Amaya said. "A piece of evidence that pinpoints the exact identity of the culprit would make the case really lame... And besides, the likelihood of something like that even existing is very low. Don't set your expectations too high, Daichi. And that's advice coming from a professional in the area!"

_*Bam!*_

Amaya gave me a strong pat in the back after saying those words.

_Th-This hurt..._

"Th-Thanks?" I said, unsure what to feel about what she had just said.

"What about you?" Hayato asked. "Did you two find anything?"

Amaya sighed. "Not really... But searching around the school with Touka has been a really fun experience!"

I glanced at Touka. She didn't show any signs of emotion whatsoever. _I'm not sure what Amaya means by fun..._

Amaya put her hand on Touka's shoulders. "Touka and I are such great partners, aren't we, Touka?"

Touka seemed too lost in her own thoughts to pay any attention to what Amaya was saying. She kept writing things on her tablet all the time. Perhaps she'd noticed something about the murder?

 _Well, we'll have the trial to talk things out_ , I thought. _I think I should let her be for now..._

"Just one more thing before we leave," I said. "What were you doing yesterday night?"

"Nothing that'd be useful," Amaya replied. "I tried to interrogate Touka from 6 pm to 7 pm, but it didn't quite work, so I returned to my room."

 _You sound like a stalker,_ I thought. _No... You *are* a stalker._

"I see..." I said, slightly disappointed. "Oh well, I think we should go back to investigating."

"Sure," she said. "Let's go, Touka!"

Smiling, Amaya grabbed Touka by her wrist, and they ran off towards the main building.

* * *

Hayato and I entered the dormitory and slowly made our way to Yoko's room.

However, on our way there, Hayato suddenly stopped walking. "So, Daichi... D-Do you really think that blood has something to do with Yoko's murder?"

"Do you have any other explanation?" I replied

"W-Well, no, but..."

 _...What is he trying to say?_ I wondered.

"Hayato, you're acting strange," I said. "Is there anything worrying you?"

Hayato gasped. "Huh?! No, of course not! I-I mean-"

"So there _is_ something bothering you," I said. "Mind telling me what that is?"

He looked away. "I-I... I don't think I can..."

"Why?" I insisted. "This isn't the time to be hiding information. You know that, don't you?"

"It's not information, it's just... my feelings..."

_...What?_

He sighed. "Being burnt alive is something truly horrible. It's depressing to know that Yoko went through that kind of experience. And it would be even more depressing if she had got stabbed before it! Can you imagine the pain she must've been through?!"

Hayato's words were not what I was expecting. They had really thrown me for a loop.

_I was too focused on solving the crime... I'd forgotten about what Yoko felt... Argh...!_

I tried to come up with an answer, but simply couldn't. The words wouldn't come out of my mouth.

"Still, you're absolutely right, Daichi," he said "We shouldn't try to keep things hidden from each other right now."

"Hayato..."

"So... Don't run away from the truth," he said. "Never. No matter how unbelievable it may appear to be. I... I don't want to believe one of us did it. But if it comes down to it..."

_The truth, huh..._

Hayato smiled. "I'm not worried, though. I know you won't run away. Not you, Daichi."

"..."

"Okay, then!" he declared. "Our next destination—Yoko's room!"

* * *

After a short walk, we found ourselves in front of Yoko's room.

"We're here," Hayato said. "Shall we enter?"

I put my hand on the doorknob. However, I couldn't bring myself to open the door.

"Huh? Are you okay, Daichi?" he asked.

"Y-Yes..." I replied.

He looked at me, worried. "Are you sure?"

 _Of course I'm not okay! The person who used to live here is now dead! And_ _I have a bad feeling the scene we'll find inside this room won't be pretty..._

"Yes, I'm fine," I said. "Don't worry about it."

As I opened the door, an unexpected situation unfolded before my eyes.

I raised an eyebrow. "Katashi?"

Katashi was examining Yoko's bed. He had taken all the bed sheets away and was pressing his head against the mattress.

"Um... What exactly are you doing?" Hayato asked.

"Investigating," he replied coldly.

"Sure... But why-"

Katashi frowned. "I have my reasons to do what I do. Don't bother asking why."

"We should all cooperate in this situation," I said. "If you keep isolating yourself from others, you-"

He sighed. "Oh, please, don't you even begin. You know very well that the people here cannot be trusted. If that weren't the case, then why did Nakou turn up dead?"

Once again, for what seemed like the hundredth time, I didn't know what to say. 

He grinned. "Ha! I'm just messing with you, Abe. Well, to a certain extent, that is."

I gasped, confused. "Wh-What...?"

"There are a few people here you can trust," he said. "For instance, Suzuya, Takamoto and I have really solid alibis."

Hayato stomped his foot aggressively. "What about me?! You also think I'm trustworthy, don't you, Daichi?!"

"Hah!" Katashi laughed. "I don't think Abe is that stupid. And that's coming from me."

"H-Hey!" he exclaimed. "We're friends, you know?! Friends trust each other!"

"Friends, you say? We'll see about that in the trial..."

And thus, Katashi left Yoko's room. "You two should investigate now. See you in the trial."

Hayato seemed really annoyed by his attitude. I'd never seen him in such a bad-mood before. "That guy! He thinks he's above everyone else!"

"Let him be..." I said. "Weren't you the one that suggested I keep my cool when talking to him?"

He sighed. "I guess I did say that... Ah... Okay, I'll forget about it. Just give me a second."

Hayato slapped his own cheeks three times.

"Okay!" he said. "I'm ready now."

"Great. Let's have a look around the room."

Yoko's room seemed oddly normal. It didn't seem any different from the last time I'd been there. If it wasn't for the unlocked door, I wouldn't have assumed the room belonged to a dead person.

 _I thought it'd be a bit... creepier?_ I thought. _There doesn't seem to be anything of note here..._

No matter how hard we looked, we didn't find any evidence.

"Well, that sucks," Hayato said. "I guess it was just a waste of time."

"Yeah..." I said.

 _Well, I might as well make a note of it,_ I thought.

\---

**_ Daichi's Notes #14 - Yoko's Room _ **

_**Yoko's room was perfectly clean. It was the same as when I had been there yesterday.** _

\---

"Let's go somewhere else. We probably still have some time left."

"Where, though?" Hayato asked. "I'm out of ideas."

I put my hand on my chin as I considered where we should head next.

"The laundry room..." I said. "Yes, the laundry room. It's right next to the incinerator room. It might be important."

With that in mind, we left Yoko's room and resumed our investigation.

* * *

"So, Daichi," Hayato said as we stepped out of the dormitory. "Who do you think is the killer?"

I thought for a few seconds before replying, "I have no idea. Besides, I don't believe it's the appropriate time to think about that."

"Why, though? We _have_ to figure out who they are, right?"

"I suppose..." I said. "Anyway, just forget about it, okay?"

"Sure..."

Perhaps I had been too harsh on Hayato. Nevertheless, that question bothered me to no end. I had been trying to not think about it for quite some time, but couldn't get those unwanted thoughts out of my head.

_What if... What if Hayato was the killer?_

What would I do?

What would _he_ do?

Hayato didn't have a solid alibi, and he was acting somewhat strange as of late... or so I thought. 

_That could very well just be my imagination..._

I didn't like the thought of him being the culprit. He was a friend of mine, after all.

Was I just imagining things? Was I just being paranoid?

Anyway, there was no solid evidence pointing towards him. And on top of that, he had been selected by the government as the Ultimate Pacifist. Why would he kill Yoko if he was fighting for peace?

I have always used logic in my deductions, not relying on random guesses or assumptions. Why, then, did I have the inexplicable feeling that Hayato was the killer?

"Oi, Earth to Daichi! Earth to Daichi!"

I gasped. "Ah!"

"Were you lost in your own thoughts again?" he said, smiling. "You overthink things way too much! Now, c'mon! We have to investigate!"

We had just arrived at the laundry room. He ran inside, leaving me behind.

"Aren't you coming?" he said.

I gulped. "Y-Yes..."

There wasn't anyone inside the laundry room. It seemed completely undisturbed.

"There doesn't seem to be any clues here," he said.

 _Well, that's disappointing,_ I thought.

However, at that moment, something caught my attention. From the corner of my eye, I saw something inside one of the washing machines.

"What is this...?"

Inside the machine were many identical purple dresses, alongside a few socks and... underwear.

Hayato walked next to me. "These are Jasmine's, right?"

"Y-Yeah, I think so," I replied. "But... This smell..."

There was some kind of weird smell coming from the clothes. It made me want to vomit.

"Ew!" Hayato exclaimed. "C'mon, Daichi, let's go somewhere else."

"I agree," I replied.

_I don't want to imagine what she would do to us if she found us rummaging through her clothes. But still... Why are they here?_

\---

** _Daichi's Notes #15 - Jasmine's Clothes_ **

**_We found Jasmine's clothes inside one of the washing machines in the laundry room. They emitted a nauseating odour._ **

\---

"Let's not waste any more time here," I said.

_This smell... It stinks!_

* * *

Once we walked outside, we noticed Onoji and Aiko standing in front of the incinerator room.

"This is bad..." Aiko mumbled. "Really bad..."

Onoji gulped. "A-Aiko?"

"I forgot the food in the oven!" she exclaimed. "It's going to burn... Ah, well... That's the least of our concerns right now."

"Y-Yes, Aiko..."

Aiko sighed. "I didn't think anyone would actually murder someone... Much less Yoko... She was such a nice person... But it's going to be alright! We're going to solve this case, right, Onoji?"

Onoji didn't seem to share her excitement. "A-Aiko..."

"Hm? What is it?" she asked. "You're sweating a lot. Is there something bothering you?"

"A-Aiko... I-I'm scar-"

"HEY THERE!" Hayato shouted, startling the two of them.

 _Goddammit..._ I thought.

"Oh," Onoji mumbled, "it's you two..."

Aiko smiled. "So, how's your investigation going? Did you find anything useful?"

I grabbed my e-Handbook. "Well, for starters, we-"

"You can leave that for the trial," Onoji interrupted. "We're almost running out of time... probably."

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh... Sure."

_Weird..._

"Well, then," I said. "Since we're already here, can you tell us your testimonies?"

 _They're the only ones left,_ I thought.

"Fine with me," Aiko replied. "Last night, at around 9.45 pm, I left the dormitory to go to the laundry room. Jasmine had asked me to wash some of her clothes."

 _That explains why we found Jasmine's clothes there,_ I thought. _However..._

"Didn't we wash everyone's clothes literally two days ago?" I asked.

Aiko sighed. "You'll never believe how much Jasmine loves her clothes... She said she wanted me to wash them again. Anyhow, I put them inside one of the washing machines, activated it and went back to my room. Come to think of it, they're probably still there..."

"Yeah, they are," Hayato said. "I'll never forget that smell..."

Onoji gasped. "S-Smell...?"

 _Did he figure something out?_ I wondered.

"Onoji...?" I asked.

He flinched. "N-No, it's nothing... Please, continue."

 _Onoji's behaviour is strange..._ _But why? Well, I'm sure we'll figure it out in due time. Now, going back to Aiko's testimony..._

"You went to the laundry room yesterday night, right, Aiko?" I said. "Did you see anyone on your way there?"

Aiko looked away, concerned. "Yes, actually. While I was walking to the laundry room, I saw a certain someone carrying a trash bag to the incinerator room."

_...What?!_

"Wh-Who was it?" I asked.

"Masuta, of course...!" Onoji shouted. "That's who Aiko saw! Wh-Who else would kill Yoko but him?!"

_Masuta...? He was the one who did it...?_

Hayato gasped. "But the rules...?!"

"D-Don't you get it?" Onoji continued. "He... He's the one that made the rules. Who knows when he might break them?!"

His theory made a lot of sense. It matched perfectly with our previous assumptions.

"So, we got ourselves a culprit?" Hayato said.

Onoji nodded. "Exactly!"

"Hold on," Aiko said. "We still know close to nothing about what really happened. We've already discussed this, Onoji. Don't jump to conclusions, okay?"

"B-But Aiko...! Your testimony is the evidence we need! It's just like you always say... Everything is going to be all right... r-right?"

Aiko thought for a few seconds before replying, "Yes, everything is going to be all right."

"G-Great then..." he mumbled. "I'm glad we were able to figure it out... Otherwise-"

I crossed my arms. "Is there something bothering you, Onoji?"

Onoji froze in place, unable to speak. "Ah! U-Uh... I-I... Never mind..."

There was certainly something bothering Onoji. It was only natural that he was scared, yes, but that was too much.

 _Something is fishy here..._ I thought.

Aiko smiled. "Don't be scared, Onoj. There's nothing to worry, remember?"

He looked away. "Y-Yes, Aiko..."

\---

**_Daichi's Notes #16 - Aiko's Account_ **

**_Aiko brought Jasmine's clothes to the laundry room at around 9.45 pm. On the way there, she saw Masuta carrying a trash bag. She put the clothes inside one of the washing machines, activated it, and then returned to her room. She didn't see anyone on her way back._ **

\---

I looked at Onoji. "Just to make sure, did you see anything weird, Onoji?"

Onoji gulped. "W-Well... I didn't see anything particularly strange, to be honest. However, I do know that the crime took place after 7 pm."

Hayato raised an eyebrow. "Hm? How do you know that?"

"I... I saw Yoko around that time," he said.

_Wait... That's impossible!_

"That's weird," I said. "By that time, she had already taken the sleeping pills. She would have been fast asleep."

"She was sleeping, though," he said, confused.

Hayato gasped. "WHAT?! Y-You... You didn't...?!"

Onoji began to sweat. "Wh-What are you talking about? Did I say something wrong, or...?"

_There's no way he did that...!_

Aiko frowned. "Onoji... You peeped through the key hole, didn't you?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," Onoji replied. "I knew she would take the sleeping pills from Kaya, so I was a bit concerned about her condition. I just wanted to make sure she was alright."

 _That's... just wrong,_ I thought. _But I'm definitely not going to be the one to explain it to him._

"H-Hey," Onoji stuttered. "Wh-Why are you making such weird faces? Did I seriously do something wrong? Does it have to do with another one of your Japanese customs...?"

Aiko sighed. "Class tomorrow, okay? Ah... You still have a lot to learn..."

\---

**_Daichi's Notes #17 - Onoji's Account_ **

**_At around 7 pm, Onoji peeped through the key hole on Yoko's door. According to him, she was already fast asleep._ **

\---

I turned around. "Now, what should we-"

* _Ding dong! Dong ding*_

_"The investigation period is now over. Everyone, please gather in the temple! Don't be late~!"_

Aiko's expression turned serious. "Hurry. We should go."

_The time has come... The class trial... I still can't believe it. Someone actually got murdered. The killing game has actually begun... And soon, even more people will-!_

"Hurry, Daichi!" Hayato shouted. He was already far ahead of me. "Don't just stand there! Haven't you heard the announcement?!"

"I-I'm coming!"

* * *

It only took a few minutes for everyone to arrive at the temple.

"Are you feeling any better, Denki?" Aiko asked.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine, now," Denki replied. "I-It's just that I'm not comfortable around... You know..."

"The ashes of Yoko's body," Itaki said coldly. "The remains of her heart, brain, bones, and everything else. All of it, completely destroyed... In other words, gore."

"Ew! Why did you have to bring it up?!" Jasmine yelled.

Chihiro stepped forward. "Um... Do you think we're prepared? I don't think I'm strong enough to handle this..."

Kaya laughed. "Wahahahahaha! I, the great Kaya Suzuya, am always prepared!"

"We've gathered a lot of clues," Amaya said. "And I'm preeeeety sure I know who the killer is. You see-"

"There is no need to rush it," Saeka interrupted. "We will surely have a lot of time to discuss all of the details of the murder during the trial."

Hayato sighed. "This whole situation still hasn't dawned on me... I can't believe Yoko's acutally dead..."

"It's an unfortunate reality," Itaki said. "To me, the murder of a dear friend is-"

Jasmine frowned. "Shut up! We don't need a second Katashi."

"Hey! Don't lump me with a weirdo like him!" Katashi yelled. "I actually investigated instead of sitting around trying to scam people..."

We waited for quite some time, but there were still no signs of Masuta.

"He is not here..." Onoji said. "He's taking way too long..."

"That asshole was the one who called us here!" Jasmine shouted. "How come he hasn't arrived yet?!"

"He's probably hidden somewhere we can't find him," Amaya said. "Touka and I tried to ask him something shortly after we began investigating. However, he didn't answer our questions as he usually does. He just ran away when we approached him."

_He... ran away? That's unusual for him..._

Aiko crossed her arms. "He might be up to something..."

"M-Maybe he's trying to hide stuff from us," Denki said.

Jasmine muttered, "That certainly wouldn't be a first."

"Well, there's nothing we can do right now," I said. "We can only wait for him to arrive..."

At that very moment, Masuta barged into the temple, smiling cheerfully.

"Sorry for the wait, my friends," he said. "Upupupupu! Aren't you excited for the upcoming trial~?"

"We would be more excited if you didn't take so goddamn long," Jasmine replied.

Amaya shrugged. "Nobody would get excited over this, anyway."

_Weren't you the one who was getting excited over the clues?!_

Looking at Masuta more closely, I noticed something different about his appearance _—_ he was wearing dark-blue gloves.

 _This is probably why he took so long,_ I thought.

I crossed my arms. "Trying to hide the bandages, I see."

Masuta titled his head. "Bandages? What bandages? No one is wearing bandages."

I stepped forward, meaning to take those gloves off his hands.

"Let him be, Daichi," Saeka said. "It is only a matter of time until the truth is exposed."

"Ugh, fine..."

 _Those bandages must be an important clue,_ I thought. _I just have to figure out how they fit into the case..._

"May I ask you why you took so long?" Saeka asked, looking straight into Masuta's eyes.

Masuta hesitated for a second. "...Gotta make sure everything's fine and dandy for the trial. I'm sorry I wasn't able to answer any of you guys' questions... I promise that'll never happen again!"

Saeka looked away, deep in thought. "I see..."

 _Did she realise something?_ I wondered.

Masuta clapped his hands. "Ahem! The time has come! Let me show you, my friends, the true greatness of this temple!"

_The... true greatness?_

Out of nowhere, a big hatch in the ceiling was opened. Meanwhile, the statue of a man holding a pot in front of us suddenly began to shake.

"Woah!" Hayato shouted. "Wh-What's going on?!"

"A-An earthquake?!" Denki exclaimed.

The statue, like a robot, threw the pot upwards. It went straight through the hatch in the ceiling, presumably landing somewhere far away.

"Wh-What was that?!" I shouted.

_That pot... Hayato asked me about it when we first explored this place._

* * *

_"Wow, I wouldn't expect finding a renaissance-style sculpture here," I said. "It's really impressive."_

_"I wonder what could be inside that pot..." Hayato asked, intrigued. He was referring to the large stone container the statue was holding._

_"It's probably empty," I concluded._

_What a random thing to wonder about..._

* * *

_...What was the purpose of having the statue throw that pot?_

The statue returned to its original pose, the only difference being the absence of the pot on its hands. It then moved to the left, revealing a spiral staircase that led to the unknown darkness below us.

"So, what did you think?" Masuta said. "Pretty cool, huh? I made it just for you lot!"

"What was the purpose of all that?" Aiko asked.

"I thought it would be cool," he replied. "What? You didn't find it awesome? Geez, you kids sure are hard to impress..."

"Now what?" Jasmine asked. "Do we go down that eerie, suspicious, dirty and probably dangerous staircase?"

Masuta smiled. "Yup!"

"...I-Is it really dangerous?" Denki asked.

"Not really," Masuta said. "Well, if you don't like spiders, you might have a hard time, but-"

"EW!" Jasmine shouted. "I am not going down there!"

"...Do we even have the option to decline?" Onoji asked.

"Nope!" Masuta said. "You must all go down there! NOW!"

Hayato raised his hand. "But what if-"

"Oh, shut up," Katashi interrupted.

_What...?_

Katashi nonchalantly began walking down the staircase. "You guys talk way too much. And we haven't even begun the trial. Now, can you all just be quiet so we can get this over with quickly?"

Without waiting for an answer, he disappeared from our sight.

"Hey!" Masuta exclaimed. "Who said you could go without us?"

"Come after me, then," he replied, signalling with his hand.

Masuta seemed disappointed by how unfazed Katashi looked after he tried to intimidate him.

"Oh..." Masuta sighed. "Um... Everyone, didn't you listen to him?! Let's get moving!"

Masuta led us through the secret passageway. The staircase was really long, and it felt as if we had been walking for hours on end. After what probably was just a few minutes, however, we found ourselves in a big empty hall. And, on the opposite side of said hall, was... an elevator.

"Oh, come on! Are you fucking kidding me?!" Jasmine shouted.

Hayato gasped. "There's still more?!"

"KIYAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Niko screamed. "I-I don't w-wanna...! I hate elevators! Don't make us go inside... Please! PLEASE!"

"Well, it isn't a real killing game if there are no elevator sequences!" Masuta replied.

"Why couldn't you have built the elevator closer to the surface?" I asked. "This whole architecture is really stupid."

"Don't call it stupid, Daichi!" he said. "I put a lot of care into it, so please be grateful for what you have!"

After a few seconds, the elevator gates opened, and we walked inside. It was big enough to fit the sixteen of us.

No... Not sixteen... There were only fifteen of us left.

I clenched my fists. "Argh...!"

Masuta walked inside the elevator, urging us to follow him.

Niko burst into tears. "WAAAAHH... I... I REFUSE TO GO!"

"Here we go again..." Katashi muttered.

Hayato stepped forward. "Hey, Niko..."

"D-Don't make me go inside!" she cried.

He stretched his hand. "It's all right. Come on, grab my hand. I'll stay by your side."

Sobbing, Niko did as Hayato said. Once everyone was gathered inside the elevator, the gates closed, and we began to go down.

Normally, I would have been bothered by the amount of time we'd have to spend just standing inside the elevator, but the tension around us didn't allow for that. No matter how determined we felt about solving the case, fear still grew inside us.

Looking around, I tried to observe everyone's faces.

Amaya, Jasmine and Saeka had a serious, yet confident, on their faces.

Itaki, Touka and Katashi seemed unfazed by the whole situation and had a casual demeanour.

Denki, Chihiro and Kaya struggled to maintain their usual positive attitude.

Onoji and Niko both seemed extremely worried, more so than anyone else. They both stayed really close to Aiko and Hayato, respectively, not letting go off their hands.

And then... There was Masuta. I'd never seen him with a bigger smile on his face. He was probably having the time of his life.

"Upupupupu..."

His laugh really got to my nerves...

"Calm down, Daichi," I said to myself. "You have to stay calm... Stay calm..."

Suddenly, the elevator came to a halt, and the gates opened once again. We had finally arrived at the trial grounds.

"Oh my..." Chihiro mumbled.

The design of the room was exactly like what I thought it'd be. Forming a circle, there were sixteen podiums. One, which probably belonged to Masuta, stood out among the others, as it was made of what looked like pure gold. The others were made of wood, but were very polished nevertheless.

There were many paintings on the walls, though I didn't recognise any. They all shared a blueish colour pallet, perhaps in order to elevate the room's gloomy atmosphere. The walls were mostly black, and the floor consisted of black and white tiles, arranged almost like a chess board.

And finally, in the back of the room, was a big metal door.

 _I don't really want to know where that leads..._ I thought.

"I have to applaud whoever built this," Itaki said. "They did a really good job with this room."

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Masuta said.

Jasmine gasped. "Wh-What the fuck is that thing?!"

At one of the podiums was a portrait of Yoko, displayed on a stand. Her face was crossed out with a big red X.

"Oh, that thing?" Masuta said. "What about it?"

"This is morbid," Jasmine said. "How are we supposed to discuss the murder with that thing staring at us?! It's giving me some bad vibes..."

"...I think that's the point," Onoji said.

Masuta smiled. "Wouldn't it be rude if we left Yoko out just because she's dead? She's still a friend of ours, right? We wouldn't want to leave her out of the fun, riiiiiiiiiiiiight~?"

"If I were her, I would want to be left out of this," I said.

Saeka stepped forward. "What do we do, now?"

"You take your seats, my friends. The class trial is about to begin!"

I looked around the courtroom until I found which podium belonged to me. There was a golden plaque with my name attached to it.

The room suddenly became claustrophobic. Everyone was really close to one another, yet so far away. To make things worse, the seats were organised in such a way to allow us to see everyone else's faces.

There was no escaping it.

**It was time to begin the trial.**

**A trial of life and death.**

**A trial of lies.**

**A trial of faith.**

**A trial of hope.**

**A trial of despair.**

**A trial which would determine our fate.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The investigation is finally over! So, who do you think is the killer? If you need to reread any of the clues, I compiled all of Daichi's notes into a single chapter.
> 
> I tried to make this case not too obvious, but also not too hard, as it's only the first one. It ended up being much more difficult than what was originally planned, but I think it's still somewhat easy to figure out if you don't fall for any of the red herrings (there are quite a few of those, as to be expected).
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading this far! I hope you enjoy the trial!


	20. Class Trial #1 - Daichi's Notes

**_#1 - Kikai File #1_**

_The_ _victim of this case is Yoko Nakou, the Ultimate Lucky Student. Her corpse—or what remains of it —was discovered at approximately 7.15 am this morning. The entire thing has been burnt to ashes, quite literally. Thus, no further examination of her injuries prior to the incineration could be conducted. The time of death is also unknown. Her e-Handbook was burnt alongside her body, and nothing remains of it._

**_ #2 - Masuta's Bandages_**

_When talking in the incinerator room, Masuta's hands were entirely covered in bandages. He kept trying to hide that fact from us the entire time._

**_#3 - Black Plastic_**

_A black piece of plastic found sticking out of the incinerator. It was probably ripped from a trash bag. There's dry blood surrounding a cut in the middle of it._

_**#4 - School Map**_

_This is the school map. It might be relevant somehow._

__

_1\. Main Building_   
_2\. Dormitory_   
_3\. The little area with Hayato's favourite retro-looking benches_   
_4\. Temple_   
_5\. Incinerator Room_   
_6\. Laundry Room_

_**#5 - Saeka's Account**_

_Saeka, Kaya and Katashi were in the library the entire day of the crime. They headed back to the dormitory at midnight. Kaya left the library for about twenty minutes at 3 pm. Katashi was only away from the library for about ten minutes while the two of us talked._

_** #6 - Night-Time Rules ** _

_The rules state that the incinerator room is locked during night-times. That means no one could have entered it from 10 pm to 7 am._ _  
_

_ **#7 - Kaya's Account** _

_Kaya went to Yoko's room and gave her a bottle of Miz Arfod at around 3 pm. She got it directly from the infirmary. After Yoko took the sleeping pills, I brought the bottle back to the infirmary._

**_#8 - Crime Scene Photo_**

_This is a photo of the incinerator room._

__

**_ #9 - Jasmine's Account_**

_Jasmine saw the shadow of someone running towards the dining hall at around 9 pm._ _She went there to see who it was, but they had already disappeared from sight._ _The kitchen door was closed._

**_ #10 - Dead Person's Room_**

_Once a person dies, the door to their room unlocks immediately._

**_ #11 - Infirmary Bottles_**

_Bottles found inside a cupboard in the infirmary. They are the following:_

_-_ _Foeti Poesied:_ _"When consumed alongside another drug, it makes it so that the effects of said drug only manifest themselves after a certain amount of time. This time varies from drug to drug."_

 _-_ _Miz Arfod:_ _"_ _When consumed, it makes one fall asleep almost instantly. Recommended for people with insomnia."_

 _-_ _ Bedimmed Oreo: _ _"Orange-flavoured medicine for stomach ache. Delicious!"_

\- _Aldo Compo:_ _"_ _Fatal poison. Symptoms right before death include fatigue, bloodshot eyes and blueish skin._ _Kills a few minutes after consumption."_

_- Opmoc Odal: "Antidote for Aldo Compo poison. It must be consumed within five minutes to be effective."_

**_#12 - Pool of Blood_**

_Big pool of dry blood found amidst the bushes and trees near the dormitory entrance. As a result, it is really hard to see from afar._

**_ #13 - Kitchen Knife_**

_A knife with traces of blood on it. It was also found near the dormitory entrance, next to the pool of blood. It most likely came from the kitchen._

**_#14 - Yoko's Room_**

_Yoko's room was perfectly clean. It was the same as when I had been there yesterday._

**_#15 - Jasmine's Clothes_**

_We found Jasmine's clothes inside one of the washing machines in the laundry. They emitted a nauseating odour._

**_#16 - Aiko's Account_**

_Aiko brought Jasmine's clothes to the laundry room at around 9.45 pm. On the way there, she saw Masuta carrying a trash bag. She put the clothes inside one of the washing machines, activated it, and then returned to her room. She didn't see anyone on her way back._

**_#17 - Onoji's Account_**

_At around 7 pm, Onoji peeped through the key hole on Yoko's door. According to him, she was already fast asleep._


	21. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Deadly Life - Part II

"Upupupupupu!"

Masuta laughed uncontrollably as we all prepared ourselves to begin the class trial. We kept glancing at each other with doubtful eyes, the tension only rising.

I took a deep breath. "Remember, Daichi... Be calm and logical. The stress mustn't get into your head."

"Upupupupu..."

"Argh!" I cried, shaking my head. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop hearing Masuta's unbearable laughter.

 _Can't you just shut up!?_ I thought, giving him a hostile glance.

"By the way, my friends," Masuta said. "You can now only access the evidence tab in your e-Handbook... for ease of access."

I turned my e-Handbook on to check—it led me directly to the evidence tab, meaning the only thing I could see was the list of notes I'd made.

"...And also to prevent you from trying to bribe your friends with K-C," Masuta added.

_...Who the heck would be willing to trade their lives for some digital coins?_

"Okay, now," Masuta said, clapping his hands. "Are you all ready, my friends?"

Nobody answered.

"Great, then!"

At that moment, emerging from the ground behind Masuta, a large monitor came into view. It was raised high enough so that everyone could see it. Without the need to press any buttons, it turned on and displayed the following message:

**CLASS TRIAL - IN SESSION**

"Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial," Masuta said. "During this trial, you, my friends, shall discuss the murder of Yoko Nakou, the Ultimate Lucky Student. Your main objective is to determine 'whodunnit'. At the end of trial, you're going to vote for who you think is the blackened. If you make the right choice, only they will be punished. However, if you get it wrong..."

The monitor now showed an animation of a couple of blue chess pawns being pushed into a pit full of fire by a bigger grey pawn. As they fell towards their demise, the screeching sound of their screams echoed in the courtroom.

Masuta giggled. "...Everyone _besides_ the blackened will get punished, and they'll get to leave! Isn't that fun? High stakes make for the best games!"

"I'll stick with my farming games, thank you very much," Amaya replied.

"Sh-Shut up!" he exclaimed. "Don't interrupt the obligatory speech that happens in the beginning of every trial! You sure know how to ruin the mood, you know that?!"

She shrugged. "Your explanation is boring."

He sighed. "Ah... Just... Just let me finish it, okay?"

 _Is he trying to make us pity him?_ I wondered. _If so, it's not working._

"Fine with me," Amaya said with a provocative smile.

Masuta cleared his throat. "Ahem! The time for the battle between the blackened and the spotless has finally arrived! May the class trial officially begin!"

We all looked at each other in silence.

_Where do we even begin...?_

After a few seconds had passed, Masuta exclaimed, "C'mon! Just begin already! Time's up when I get bored! If you wanna find out who the blackened is, you better start talking right now!"

Saeka was the first to speak.

"We shall begin, then," she said. "Are you all aware of common trial proceedings?"

Hayato gasped. "Wha- No! I don't think any of us have been to a trial before..."

"I'm not sure how this is going to work..." Chihiro said. "In the _Danganronpa_ games, you just follow along as the characters talk... This is totally different."

"What did you expect?" Jasmine replied. "We aren't following a script, dammit. Haven't you all got any conversation skills or are you too antisocial for that? If we need to talk, we _talk_ , for fuck's sake!"

Saeka sighed. "There is no need for such vulgar language..."

Before Jasmine could reply, Amaya raised her hand.

"I don't think there's a need to go over trial proceedings," she said. "This isn't a normal trial, after all. Still, at very least, try not to interrupt each other every ten seconds. Is that okay with you guys?"

Kaya laughed. "Wahahahahaha! The great Kaya Suzuya interrupts whoever she-"

Saeka gave her a cold glare.

She flinched. "Th-The great Kaya Suzuya won't interrupt anyone..."

_I wonder if she'll be able to keep this promise..._

"Now then," Aiko said, "first and foremost, I think we should make a rough timeline of the events. It'd make for an easier discussion."

"A rough timeline..." Denki said. "W-Well, the last thing would be the body discovery."

Aiko nodded. "That is right. So... Daichi?"

"Yes?" I replied.

"You're the one who discovered Yoko's body," she said. "We should begin with your testimony."

"Makes sense," Amaya said. "The best way to start is with the end. At least, that's how it usually goes."

Aiko smiled. "So, Daichi? Are you ready?"

The class trial had really begun. I was shaking. I wasn't sure I would be able to handle it, but I didn't let the others notice it.

"Scared, Abe?" Katashi said, grinning. "Don't worry, you get used to it."

"Leave him alone, you jerk!" Hayato said. "Take your time, Daichi. We have all the time in the world."

Saeka sighed. "No, we do not..."

"Huh?" he mumbled, confused. "Of course we do!"

Itaki looked at him. "I'm afraid we don't have as much time on our hands as you think, Hayato. Masuta has already stated that time is over when he gets bored."

Masuta clapped his hands. "Precisely, Shimamoto-kun! That's why you're _my_ favourite! See, my friends? He's smart! And he's also super polite! He's totally not just a one-off comic relief character!"

_...What?_

"Oh, I see..." Hayato sighed. "Sorry guys, I'd forgotten about that."

"Please, try not to forget anything from now on," Saeka said.

"Let's proceed with our discussion, then," Itaki said. "Daichi, if you please."

Hayato glanced at me, slightly worried.

_Here it goes..._

"All right..." I began. "I woke up at around 6.30 in the morning. That was before Masuta's morning announcement. A few minutes after I got out of bed, Amaya rang at my door."

"Is that correct, Amaya?" Saeka asked.

Amaya nodded. "Yup. Aiko requested me to wake everyone up early."

"I wanted to cook a special lunch today, together with everyone," Aiko said. "Well, I suppose that isn't happening anymore..."

Chihiro raised her hand. "Um... What reason would there be to make a special lunch today?"

"I-Is it perhaps someone's birthday?" Denki asked.

"It is not," Itaki replied. "Assuming we woke up on February 29th, today would be March 6th. The nearest birthday is Chihiro's, on the 14th. Daichi's is on the 15th."

"I don't think we needed such an in-depth explanation," Amaya said, "but thanks."

"How'd you even memorise everyone's birthdays?!" Hayato said. "I can hardly remember my own!"

"It is essential to know important dates such as birthdays if I want my business to be successful," Itaki stated matter-of-factly. "Alongside Christmas, birthdays are when people spend the largest amount of cash on presents."

"NOT IMPORTANT!" Jasmine shouted. "You guys sure know how to derail a conversation, don't you?"

"Wahahaha! That's our speciality!" Kaya replied.

Chihiro lowered her head. "Um... Aiko... I-I asked you... Um..."

"Why did you decide to prepare a special lunch today?" I said.

Aiko looked at me. "Why _not_ today? The idea just... came into my head. There isn't any deeper meaning to it."

"It just came into your head?" Katashi said. "I don't know about the rest of you, but that sounds awfully suspicious to me."

"What are you suggesting?" Aiko asked, serious.

"Why did you decide to wake everyone up early?" he replied. "I don't believe in that stupid 'special lunch' excuse, Mamoru. There must be a deeper reason for your actions. Perhaps you are, in fact, the culprit of-"

"Aiko is _not_ the culprit."

Everyone's heads turned towards Onoji, who had been completely silent up until that point in the trial. Although he had spoken those words with complete confidence, he immediately looked away, as if to avoid everyone's glances.

"Why'd say, little boy?" Katashi said. "Are you worried about mommy?"

"Y-You..." Onoji muttered angrily.

Denki crossed. "Katashi, that was uncalled for. Y-You should apologise."

"Nobody asked for your opinion, fat-ass," Katashi replied.

Jasmine pointed her finger towards Katashi. "That's where I draw the line. If you keep screwing around, you're dead, you hear?"

I gulped. _It doesn't look like she's joking..._

"What?" Katashi said. "Don't tell me you don't think Mamoru is suspicious?"

Jasmine looked at Aiko. "She's way more trustworthy than you."

He sighed. "Geez, do I really look like such a bad guy?"

"Yes," Amaya said. "Yes, you do."

"You look satisfied with being the bad guy, though," I said.

Katashi didn't reply.

"Wahahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "Suspicious! Very suspicious, indeed! I, the great Kaya Suzuya, believe Mr. Akeru is the killer!"

"No, he is not," Saeka said. "He stayed with us in the library until midnight. Therefore, he could not have killed Yoko."

"Hmpf... Well said," Katashi muttered.

"Katashi's just playing with us," Amaya said. "There's no point in discussing Aiko's intentions. It won't lead us anywhere."

Katashi averted his eyes. "Tch, whatever. Believe whoever you want."

Aiko didn't seem bothered by Katashi's words. Instead, her eyes were focused on another person.

"Onoji," she said.

"Huh?" Onoji mumbled, surprised.

The two of them, however, didn't exchange a single word. It almost seemed like they were using telepathy to talk to one another. It looked like both understood what the other was trying to tell them.

_I wonder what they're thinking..._

_What is everyone thinking?_

_....What is Yoko's killer thinking right now?_

Despite all of the chaotic thoughts cramping up inside my head, I was able to notice Hayato looking in my direction. Once our eyes met, he smiled, as if to tell me that everything was okay.

I knew it wasn't.

I knew that he was having the same kind of thoughts as I was. Almost instinctively, I looked away.

 _Keep going... That's all I have to do,_ I thought.

With Katashi out of the way, we resumed our discussion.

"We've lost a lot of time on this, haven't we?" Hayato said.

"Time to get back on track," Amaya said. "Uh... Where were we, again? Oh, yeah! Daichi! You only gave us the first half of your testimony."

"That's right," I said. "Um... May I continue?"

No one had any complaints.

"All right..." I said. "So... Amaya and I talked for a few minutes. Then, I went to the incinerator room."

"...Wh-Why, though?" Niko asked.

"I think it's obvious," I replied. "I was going to burn my trash."

Niko didn't give any sort of response. She simply looked away, muttering something I couldn't hear. Normally, I'd have just ignored it, but something about her attitude towards me seemed strange.

 _I can deal with that later,_ I thought.

"Okay, then," I said. "I was on my way to the incinerator room when the morning announcement rang. After some more walking, I reached my destination. There, I-"

"We all know what happens from there," Saeka interrupted.

"Y-Yeah..." I replied.

 _I still can't get that scene out of my head..._ I thought. _Yoko's ashes..._

Amaya took out her notebook and scanned through some of its pages. "Did you see anyone suspicious on your way to the incinerator, Daichi?"

"N-No, I didn't," I replied.

"Are you sure?" she insisted.

"Um... Yes? If I had seen someone, I'd already have told you."

However, Amaya didn't turn her eyes away from me. It was honestly a bit intimidating. Could that be an interrogation tactic?

 _Did I say something wrong...?_ I wondered.

"Hm... Okay then," Amaya said.

"Can we move on, now?" Jasmine said. "Dwelling on Daichi's testimony won't help us."

 _Hey, she got my name right_ , I thought. _That's some improvement._

"All right," Amaya said. "Up next we have-"

Taking all of us by surprise, someone shouted, "H-H-HOLD ON!"

_...Niko?_

"N-Niko...? Wh-What is it?" Denki asked.

Niko pointed her finger at me, although she seemed a bit hesitant.

"H-How can we know that he's telling the truth?!" she exclaimed.

Hayato raised an eyebrow. "Huh...? Why would Daichi lie?"

"I-It's simple..." she replied. "He lied because he's the k-killer!"

_...Huh?_

It took us a few seconds to process Niko's words.

"...Wait," Aiko said. "You think _Daichi_ is the killer?"

Niko nodded. "Yeah! He brought Yoko to the incinerator room and burned her alive!"

"That's a tad bit too... out-there" Amaya said. "I'm not sure I believe it."

Niko looked away. "Wh-Why do you think that...? It sounds perfectly plausible to me!"

"I'm sorry, Niko..." Hayato said. "I can't believe Daichi's the killer..."

Katashi grinned. "I don't see why he _wouldn't_ be the killer, though. There is nothing to prove he's telling the truth."

"No, that's wrong!"

I shouted those words from the top of my lungs. Katashi's statement was clearly wrong.

Katashi crossed his arms. "Abe? You know you can't prove your innocence, don't you? There is no-"

"Silence," Saeka ordered. "Let Daichi talk."

Katashi sighed. "Go ahead..."

"What is it, Daichi?" Aiko asked.

"The body discovery announcement," I said. "It rings once three people find the body, as stated by the rules. According to your theory, Niko, I'm both the killer _and_ the third person to find Yoko's body. Don't you think that's a little strange? If I were the killer, shouldn't I be the _first_ to do so?"

"M-Maybe she had already been dead," Niko replied, "and you just... burned her body..."

I crossed my arms. "Who were the two other people who found Yoko's body before I did, then? When did they find it?"

"M-Maybe you... Y-You..."

"And most importantly... How would I be able to kill Yoko without actually seeing her? The answer is... it didn't happen. It's impossible."

Niko didn't seem to have a counter-argument.

"I'm sorry, Niko," I said, "but please come up with a better reasoning before accusing someone randomly."

She lowered her head. "U-Um..."

"Is everything all right, Niko?" Hayato asked.

"Y-Yes," she muttered. "It's fine..."

"We've wasted our time again, haven't we?" Kaya said. "Hmpf... If only you'd listened to the great Kaya Suzuya."

"It wasn't a complete waste of time, though," Aiko said. "Daichi mentioned something important."

_Wait... Did I?_

"I don't get it..." Hayato said.

"The body discovery announcement..." Aiko said. "We know two out of the three people who 'discovered' the body, right?"

"Those being Daichi," Itaki said, "and the killer."

"Wait a second," Saeka said. "Do we even know if those three people include the killer?"

Masuta raised his hand. "That's my cue!"

Upon the clap of his hands, some text appeared on the monitor behind him.

* * *

**Rule #10:** **A "Body Discovery Announcement" will play once three people find the dead body.**

* * *

"The rule you've just mentioned is this one," Masuta said. "I knew we'd need to have this discussion eventually. Oh, the eternal paradox... Is this killer included in those three people or not?"

"Just answer the question already!" Jasmine yelled.

He giggled. "Upupupupu! Very well... The killer is, in fact, included in those three people! If they're human, that is. Don't expect a bird to be included."

Hayato gasped. "Wait?! A bird is the culprit?!"

Saeka rolled her eyes. "Thank you for your explanation, Masuta. Now, back to what Aiko was saying..."

"Well..." Aiko said. "It's just as Itaki said. We know that both the killer and Daichi saw the body. However... Doesn't that sound strange?"

After reflecting upon Aiko's words a bit more, I realised what she meant.

 _How can that be?!_ _No one mentioned anything of the sort in their testimony!_

I gasped. "There's... There's someone missing!"

"Wait..." Chihiro said. "An innocent person found the body before Daichi did?"

She was right. The body discovery announcement only rang once _three_ people found the body. The facts were simply not adding up. The missing piece to that puzzle was the "second person", someone who'd seen the body before I had.

"Who is the dumbass that hasn't spoken up until now?!" Jasmine shouted. "Say it! Reveal yourself, you bastard!"

"They're not gonna do it if you keep insulting them," Amaya replied.

"We should ask a bit more politely," Chihiro said. "Um... Would the 'second person' please reveal themselves?"

Nobody spoke up.

"Shit..." Jasmine muttered.

"...Well, I tried," Chihiro mumbled.

 _This is not going well..._ I thought.

"So... Who is it?" Hayato asked.

"I can tell they are not going to answer that question so easily," Saeka replied.

Inside my head, I tried to come up with a reason as to why the person hadn't told us they'd found the body. It didn't make any sense. Unless...

"Could there have been... an accomplice?" I said. "I know it seems unlikely, but it's the only thing I could come up with."

"Um... Is there any way to actually _prove_ there was an accomplice?" Chihiro said.

"I'm afraid not..." I replied.

"Hold on!" Masuta exclaimed. "You're really suggesting there was an accomplice?! Unbelievable! Don't you see it? There isn't a single reason for any of you to be an accomplice!"

"Why not?" Hayato asked.

Masuta sighed. "Do I really need to explain this...? The rules state that only one who gets to leave is the blackened, that being the person who actually committed the murder. Any and all accomplices would get executed alongside the rest of you."

"A criminal's motive isn't always that straight-forward, though," Amaya said. "Maybe they were fine with getting executed."

"Perhaps we just don't know their motive just yet," I said. "If we-"

"Listen to me!" Masuta interrupted. "There was _no_ accomplice! That theory is wrong! Sheesh! Teenagers are so stubborn these days..."

 _Well, I guess that eliminates that possibility,_ I thought.

"I-I have an idea," Denki said. "C-Couldn't it have been... Masuta? M-Maybe he's the person who found Yoko's body before Daichi did."

"Oh! That makes sense," Jasmine replied. "So... Masuta! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

He shook his head. "Nope! No way! I don't count as one of the three people who discover a body."

"Interesting..." Amaya said. "Gotta keep that in mind."

Jasmine sighed. "And here I thought we'd hit the bull's eye."

"I-I guess my theory was wrong after all..." Denki mumbled, disappointed.

We had run out of ideas. We simply couldn't find who the second person was.

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "Do not worry! I, the great Kaya Suzuya, shall come up with theories of my own! That's going to solve all of our problems!"

"Do you have an idea, then?" Hayato asked, hopeful.

"Of course!" she replied. "The second person who saw the body is... one of us!"

"That doesn't really help, does it?" Jasmine replied, annoyed.

Kaya grinned. "However, we should be able to know _when_ they discovered Ms. Nakou's body!"

Hayato's eyes widened. "Really? When was it?!"

"After the murder happened!"

"Stop stating the obvious, dammit!" Jasmine yelled. "If you don't have anything to add, then please keep your stupid mouth shut!"

"Well, she wasn't wrong, was she?" Aiko giggled.

Jasmine frowned. "Don't you even begin..."

Kaya cleared her throat. "Hey! Listen to the words of the great Kaya Suzuya and the path towards the truth shall reveal itself!"

 _Where could Kaya go with her line of thought?_ I wondered. _Could there be some semblance logic amidst her madness?_

"Firstly," Kaya began, "we know the murder happened before Mr. Abe left the dormitory this morning. Otherwise, he would have seen the killer leaving the incinerator room. Let's use some good old logic here! Just think about it! What would be the best time to sneak out to do some shady stuff?!"

"At night, I suppose," Itaki said. "While everyone is asleep."

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "Exactly! The murder happened while everyone was asleep, during night-time, to be more specific. The culprit somehow kidnapped Ms. Nakou, brought her to the incinerator room and killed her!"

"Whoa," Amaya said. "You're going too fast. There are some crazy jumps in logic in your speech just now. For instance, when did the second person find the body?"

Kaya smirked. "Simple! During night-time! After the killer had already done their job, of course."

"I-I still don't understand..." Denki said. "H-How would the second person find the body... exactly? Th-They couldn't have just... stumbled upon the body, could they?"

"I agree with Denki," Aiko said. "Why would anyone go out at night? Why to the incinerator room? If they wanted to burn their trash, they could just have waited until morning."

"Maybe they didn't have a reason," Hayato said. "Personally, I take a night-walk every day. Perhaps it's the same for this 'second person'. They found the body by accident."

 _That's a little too convenient..._ I thought.

"Wahahaha! Bold of you to assume they did it for no reason!" Kaya replied. "Listen closely! This 'second person'... They also intended to commit murder! That's why they went outside during night-time! And that's also why they haven't revealed themselves yet!"

"That... makes so much sense!" Hayato gasped.

"You aren't really confident about your theories, are you, spiky-head?" Jasmine replied, noticing his sudden change of mind.

 _Is Kaya really right about that, though?_ _There's something that doesn't add up..._

"Er... Kaya," I said. "I think there's something you forgot to consider."

"Wha- The great Kaya Suzuya never forgets anything!" she replied. "If a peasant such as you dares to-"

"Logic," Saeka said. "That is what she forgot."

Kaya raised an eyebrow. "Hm? What do you mean, best friend Saeka?"

Saeka sighed. "Ugh... The incinerator room is locked during night-time. This fact renders your theory absolutely wrong."

"Oh, I see it now!" Kaya replied, smiling. "Thanks for your help, best friend Saeka!"

 _Well, I guess Saeka has done my job for me,_ I thought. _Welp, Kaya probably wouldn't have listened to me, anyway..._

"Then, if that's settled," Itaki said, "we should move onto our next topic. Since we're done with Daichi's testimony, and the incinerator room was closed during night-time, we should hear everyone's testimonies from right before the night-time announcement."

"I-I was in my room," Denki said.

"Me too," Chihiro said.

"Was there anyone who _wasn't_ in their own rooms?" Jasmine asked.

"Kaya, Katashi and I were in the library," Saeka said. "I believe I have already mentioned that."

"H-Hold on!" Niko shouted.

_Is she going to make another accusation...?_

"I-In the beginning of the trial," she said, "you said Katashi couldn't be the killer because he was with you until midnight. However, that didn't cover the period _after_ midnight."

"And?" Saeka asked.

"A-At that time," Niko continued. "We still weren't certain if the time of the murder was before night-time began."

"Oh, yeah!" Hayato said. "I also thought her argument back there was a bit strange!"

"If that's the case," Niko said, "then you knew the time of the murder beforehand! What do you say, Saeka Takamoto?! Are you the killer?!"

 _This argument... doesn't really make much sense, does it?_ I thought.

The courtroom went silent for a few dreadful seconds, as everyone waited for Saeka's response.

Saeka crossed her arms. "...And?"

"U-Um," Niko mumbled. "Y-You're the killer. It's the only way you'd know the time of the murder beforehand."

"There is another way," Saeka said.

Niko gasped. "H-Huh?! There is...?! What is it?"

"Being smart enough to pay attention to the rules," she said. "The night-time announcement clearly specifies that the incinerator room is closed off during night-time. I assumed everybody was able to remember such basic information. I suppose I was wrong, seeing how we had to discuss it at-length just before your 'accusation', if you can even call it that."

Niko was left speechless after Saeka's rebuttal.

 _She seriously has to stop accusing people randomly like this,_ I thought.

"Now, can we move on?" Saeka said. "As Itaki said, we should listen to everyone's alibis for the moments preceding the night-time announcement."

"I recall you collected everyone's testimonies, Daichi," Itaki said. "Who should we listen to first?"

 _Everyone's besides yours,_ I thought, annoyed.

"Um... Aiko," I said. "I think your testimony might be useful now."

"Of course," Aiko replied. "I went to the laundry room at around 9.45 pm. Jasmine had asked me to wash her clothes. On my way there, I saw Masuta carrying a big trash bag, but I didn't pay much attention to it. The night-time announcement rang shortly after I left the laundry room. I didn't see anyone on my way back to the dormitory."

"Wait..." Chihiro said. "Masuta? You saw him?"

"Called it!" Jasmine exclaimed. "I knew that guy was up to something!"

Masuta giggled. "Upupupupu..."

 _Masuta... I'm sure he's involved in this case_ _somehow._

"WAIT!" Kaya exclaimed. "How can we know that Ms. Mamoru is telling the truth?!"

"What?! There's no way Aiko's lying!" Onoji replied.

"How do _you_ know that?" Kaya asked. "I, the great Kaya Suzuya, say we shouldn't trust someone so easily!"

"I-I know Aiko's telling the truth," he stuttered. "I just know it...!"

Katashi crossed his arms. "And we know that, when it comes to discussing Mamoru's innocence, _you_ cannot be trusted. You just blindly try to defend her. We've all noticed it by now."

"I hadn't noticed that..." Hayato mumbled.

Onoji didn't reply. Aiko didn't say anything either.

"What do we do, then?" Jasmine said. "How do we know if Aiko's telling the truth or not?"

"There's a simple solution for that," Amaya replied.

"Hm? And what would it be?" Hayato asked.

Amaya grinned. "Ask the person Aiko mentioned in her testimony. It's as simple as that. I'm sure he won't lie."

 _Masuta?_ I thought. _He has a lot of reasons to lie, actually._

"May I ask why you think he won't lie?" Itaki said.

Amaya giggled. "Because he's a sweet little boy. Riiiiiiight, my dear friend, Masuta~?"

_What...?!_

Masuta gasped. "M-Me?! Oh, Amaya-chan... Yep, I did that. Aiko's testimony is the truth! You can believe her words without worry!"

"Thank you very much!" she replied, giving him a warm smile.

Masuta flinched. "Hold on...! I shouldn't have said that! I-I take it back! Aiko's totally a filthy liar!"

_...Is he seriously that easy to manipulate?!_

He desperately tried to make us forget about his little slip-up, but it was already too late.

Amaya grimaced. "Yeah, I'm not going with that tactic ever again. Sorry you guys had to hear that."

"No worries," Aiko said happily. "And, well, I guess that clears things up!"

"I-I knew it," Onoji said. "I kept saying that Aiko was telling the truth... You guys should have listened to me..."

"That doesn't matter now," Itaki said. "What _is_ important is that we can now proceed normally."

 _Itaki is right..._ I thought. _Now we know that Masuta really did something yesterday night._

Masuta seemed to be back to his usual upbeat attitude. "So... Have you figured out who the blackened is?"

"W-We sure have!" Onoji said. "And it's you!"

"Oh, it looks like the little shy boy has developed some actual guts!" he replied. "Me? A murderer? Unthinkable!"

"Being a kidnapper is only one step away from being a murderer, you know," Amaya said.

"Masuta..." I said. "We know you're heavily involved in this case. I'm honestly not sure if you're the murderer themselves, but you must be hiding something!"

Masuta raised an eyebrow. "Hold on... Are you really accusing me? This isn't a joke?"

"Y-You're the only one who could be the culprit!" Onoji shouted. "Aiko's testimony proves it! R-Right, Aiko?"

Aiko didn't reply.

"A-Aiko?" he insisted. "You know Masuta's the culprit!"

"Shut up, Onoji boy!" Masuta exclaimed. "It's stated in the rules. I am not able to kill you!"

Onoji averted his eyes. "B-But you could break-"

"Break the rules?!" Masuta replied. "I would never _ever_ break my rules! Besides, I'm unable to..."

"Why not?" I said. "I mean, you could just-"

"Don't interfere, Daichi!" Masuta snapped at me. "This is a serious matter! Ah, I cannot believe me of all people would be accused of mur-"

"Why are you surprised?!" Onoji shouted, interrupting him. "We can't trust a single thing that comes out of your mouth, and Aiko saw you going to-!"

"Onoji, that's enough," Aiko said, giving him a serious glare.

Onoji leaned forward on his podium, teary-eyed. "But Aiko, it's so obvious-!"

"No, it's not, and you know it," Aiko replied. "Onoji, I understand that you want this trial to end as soon as possible... but we can't just rush to the end! Everyone is fated to face some hardships in life. If you try to avoid them, you won't be able to grow—or even survive, in the case of this trial."

"A-Aiko, the answer is literally in front of us!" Onoji shouted. "Why can't you see that?! There is no need to talk about anything else!"

"I... I-I agree with Onoji!" Niko exclaimed. "It's better if we end this trial as fast as we can!"

Aiko smiled. "...The straight line to your destination isn't really the road you want to take. It is those little detours that truly make us the journey worthwhile... That's what I think, at least."

_Detours...?_

Upon hearing that, both Onoji and Niko seemed to calm down.

"So let's take part in this trial with an open mind," Aiko said, "and not jump to any conclusions, alright?"

Onoji hung his head. "...F-Fine."

That was followed by a moment of complete silence, with many glances being cast at both Aiko and Onoji. Well, not really _complete_ silence, as there was one thing I could hear very clearly—the sound of someone tapping their fingers on a screen. Instantly, I looked towards where that sound came from.

_...Touka?_

Touka didn't seem to be paying attention to the trial. Or perhaps she was, in her own eccentric way. I honestly didn't know which.

 _...What's she typing?_ I wondered.

"Ahem!" Masuta cleared his throat, interrupting my thoughts. "Now that you've finally dropped all of those ludicrous accusations, let's-"

"Let us progress with the trial, shall we?" Saeka said, interrupting Masuta.

"Sounds good to me!" Aiko replied.

"I believe we were discussing Aiko's testimony," Itaki said, "and the possibility of Masuta being the culprit, although that has already been cleared up."

"Uh..." Hayato mumbled. "I wonder what else we can get out of it..."

"It must be important, somehow," Aiko said. "We just have to look for it."

Hayato sighed. "I get that, but... The only person you saw was Masuta, right?"

 _Hayato might be onto something..._ I thought. _If Masuta was the only one Aiko saw, then he ought to be the one who activated the incinerator... Yet, Masuta didn't kill Yoko..._

"Did anyone else see Masuta yesterday?" Saeka asked.

"I did," Jasmine replied. "At around 7 pm, he appeared out of nowhere, told me some unfunny jokes, I yelled at him, and he ran away."

"Yup, that sounds like me!" Masuta said happily.

"That... doesn't sound very useful," Aiko said.

Amaya sighed. "Did anyone else see him doing anything suspicious?"

Nobody said anything.

 _We only have Aiko's testimony to go by, then,_ I thought.

"Um..." Chihiro said. "I've got a question... I think it might help us figure out what Masuta was doing yesterday night."

"What is it?" I asked.

She gulped. "I might have missed something, but... How... How exactly was Yoko brought to the incinerator?"

"Hm?" Denki mumbled. "What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't just walk around carrying an unconscious girl on your arms, would you?" Jasmine said.

"How do you know she was unconscious?" Katashi said. "For all we know, she could have gone to the incinerator room on her own. The culprit then ambushed her right then and there."

Katashi was certainly wrong. He probably knew that already, but I still had to show it to everyone else.

"No, Yoko couldn't have gone to the incinerator on her own, Katashi," I said. "Someone must have brought her there. That's because... she was asleep."

"Asleep?" Hayato asked. "Don't you think it was way too early to be asleep?"

"That's not exactly what I meant," I replied. "Yoko had taken the medicine Kaya had given her. It makes you fall asleep almost instantly. I don't recall the name of the medicine, though it doesn't really mat-"

"It's _Miz Arfod_!" Kaya exclaimed.

"...Sure," I said. "Now, as I was saying... I saw Yoko taking the pills. It was in the middle of the afternoon, if I recall correctly."

"Did you read the label on the bottle?" Saeka asked.

"Yes," I said. "Why...?"

"Just making sure..." she replied. "It could have been a different bottle, after all..."

Kaya crossed her arms. "Why would I give Ms. Nakou a different bottle, best friend Saeka?"

Saeka sighed. "Forget about it..."

"Anyway," Katashi said, "we still cannot affirm with full certainty that Nakou took that medicine. Abe's testimony doesn't prove anything."

"Huh?" Denki mumbled. "B-But we've already established that Daichi's innocent, haven't we?"

"Although unlikely, he could still be lying, I suppose," Saeka said. "There is always more than one liar to every case. At least, that is how fictional stories usually go."

"This isn't a fictional story, y'know?" Amaya said. "These things don't usually follow patterns."

Hayato raised his hand. "Daichi's a reliable source! I know that for a fact!"

" _You_ aren't a reliable source, though," Jasmine muttered.

Katashi seemed to ignore Hayato. "We cannot really be sure that Nakou had been asleep since then. Therefore, it is also possible that she may have gone to the incinerator room on her own."

_I'm certain Yoko took the medicine. I saw her doing it! But... Is there any way to prove it?_

"That's it!" I exclaimed. "There's another person who saw Yoko asleep! That'd prove that she was unconscious, right?"

"I suppose so," Saeka said. "So, who is this person?"

I looked at Onoji.

"Wh-Why are you looking at me like that, Daichi?" he stuttered. "I-I didn't lie. I'm not culprit, I promise...!"

"You're making yourself look suspicious, dummy," Aiko said, giving him a warm smile. "Just calm down and listen to Daichi."

"Uh... O-Okay, then..."

 _He seems worried about something..._ I thought. _And I still don't know what..._

"...Onoji," I said, "you saw Yoko sleeping at around 7 pm, correct?"

"Oh, that..." he sighed in relief. "Yes, you are right. I saw Yoko asleep at around 7 o'clock at night yesterday. She was asleep, lying on her bed. She was facing the wall, so I couldn't really see her face, but she was definitely sleeping."

"Stop it right there!" Jasmine shouted. "Don't you tell me that you were peeping through the key hole!"

"U-Um... E-Eh..."

"So you were!" Jasmine yelled. "Fucking perv! Just because you look like a kid doesn't mean you can go around invading a person's privacy! If you do that to me or Denki or anyone else, I'll fucking kill you!"

"I-I am so sorry!" Onoji stuttered, bowing to Jasmine. "I-I didn't know it was rude..."

However, Jasmine only got angrier. "Every perv says that same damn thing!"

Onoji seemed to shrink in size. "I-I'm sorry..."

Having spent all of her energy, Jasmine took a deep breath.

"Aiko," Jasmine said, "teach him some manners, will ya?"

"Of course..." Aiko sighed.

 _Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting that sort of response,_ I thought. _Anyhow, Onoji's testimony still stands. Yoko was asleep at 7 pm._

"That was... something that happened," Amaya said. "Fortunately for us, though, now we can be one hundred percent certain that Yoko took Kaya's pills."

"W-We can also assume that she was killed after 7 pm, right?" Denki said.

Amaya nodded. "Yup! In fact, I believe you, Onoji, was the last person to see Yoko alive. Lucky you!"

"I wouldn't call that luck..." Onoji replied.

At that moment, I noticed that Katashi was looking at me.

"Well, Abe," he said, grinning. "Seems like you've proven me wrong. May I ask what's _your_ theory, then? How was Nakou brought to the incinerator room if she was unconscious?"

_He's teasing me...._

I had to come up with something. I wouldn't let Katashi embarrass me in front of the whole group, would I? Thankfully, the answer to that question had been on my mind since the investigation.

"My theory?" I said. "Well, I believe... I believe Yoko was brought to the incinerator room in a trash bag."

That fact was obvious. If the culprit didn't want to look suspicious, then that was their best option. No one would pay them any mind if they were just bringing a trash bag to the incinerator room.

 _That also clarifies what *he* was doing that night..._ I thought.

"A trash bag, huh..." Hayato said. "Yup, I think that sounds plausible."

"Where is the proof to back it up, then?" Katashi asked. "You should always have concrete evidence to back your claims."

"I do have evidence," I said. "When Hayato and I were investigating the crime scene, we found a piece of black plastic sticking out from the incinerator. It was of the kind you'd find in a trash bag."

"It could just be from a random trash bag," Katashi replied. "There's no way to-"

"The thing is..." I interrupted. "There was dry blood on it."

"Blood..." Chihiro said. "Then, it's certain... Yoko was inside the trash bag..."

"That's most definitely what happened," Amaya said. "No doubt about it."

 _I have an idea as to what caused Yoko to bleed,_ I thought, _but I don't think this is the right moment to mention it._

"W-Wait," Denki said. "Didn't Aiko see Masuta carrying a trash bag? D-Does that mean...?"

We all turned towards Masuta. He was smiling childishly, undisturbed.

"Say, Masuta," I said, "what exactly were you doing when Aiko saw you?"

"I've already told you many times, haven't I?" Masuta replied. "I was going to the incinerator room. There was some trash I had to burn."

 _He's not answering_ , I thought.

I took a deep breath before pointing my finger at him.

"You...! You were carrying Yoko's body inside that trash bag, weren't you?!"

"Huh?" Masuta mumbled. "Where did you get that from?"

"Daichi's right," Amaya said. "Remember when we asked you if you were the second person, Masuta?"

* * *

_"I-I have an idea," Denki said. "C-Couldn't it have been... Masuta? M-Maybe he's the person who found Yoko's body before Daichi did."_

_"Oh! That makes sense," Jasmine replied. "So... Masuta! What do you have to say for yourself?!"_

_He shook his head. "Nope! No way! I don't count as one of the three people who discover a body."_

* * *

Amaya grinned. "You didn't _deny_ seeing the body. If you hadn't seen it, then you would have said that-"

"Okay, fine!" Masuta interrupted. "I saw the goddamn body! Are you happy now?!"

Niko pointed her finger at Masuta, sweat dripping from her face. "You liar! You must be the killer!"

"I _cannot_ murder any of you!" he shouted, even louder than before. "Is that really so difficult to understand?! You just keep saying the same things over and over again! Get smart, already! Besides... I didn't lie."

"I-I mean..." Denki said. "T-Technically, you did..."

"I did _not_ ," he said. "I said that I had some trash to burn. I wasn't lying about that... Upupupupu..."

"Y-You bastard!" Jasmine shouted. "Don't you dare insult a dead person like that!"

Masuta giggled. "But she _was_ garbage, you know? Too bad she died before she actually became an interesting character."

 _...If it weren't for his rules, I would've punched this guy in the face a long time ago,_ I thought.

"You look troubled, Daichi," Masuta said, teasing me. "What? Are you thinking about the now-dead trash?"

"Sh-Shut up!" I shouted. "She was not trash! She was... a great human being!"

I looked around. Everyone had their heads down.

_Is nobody going to say anything?!_

"You barely knew her," Masuta said. "Upupupu... How can you say for certain that she was a good person? Heck, for all you know, she could be an alien creature. You wouldn't know."

 _No!_ I thought. _Yoko was certainly a good person! I know it...!_

"She could've been lying to you," he said. "You know that, don't you? Well, it's too late to ask her now..."

"That's wrong...!" I replied. "Yoko was definitely my-!"

_...Friend?_

I hesitated. Somehow, the placement of that word felt wrong. However, before I could give that any more thought, I was brought back to reality by a certain voice.

"So, you admit to it. Say it out loud."

I raised my head. The owner of that voice was none other than Aiko Mamoru, who was looking straight at Masuta.

"Guess there's no reason to hide it anymore," he giggled. "I, Masuta Kikai, the Ultimate Game Master, put an unconscious Yoko Nakou inside a trash bag and carried her all the way to the incinerator room! It was all me. Are you satisfied now?"

A strange feeling downed upon everyone in that courtroom. It was a weird mix of relief and dread. We had just solved part of the puzzle. However, as a result, many more questions had been raised.

Chihiro put her hand on her chin. "So, the mascot- I mean, the game master is involved in the crime...? That's a bit unusual."

"I _am_ unusual," Masuta said. "That's what makes me special!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Jasmine said. "I have a question. How the fuck did Masuta get inside Yoko's room in the first place?"

"Oh, yeah..." Hayato said. "But is that really important?"

"Of course it is!" she shouted.

 _I agree with Jasmine,_ I thought. _There's no way that's *not* important._

"Couldn't Masuta have used a skeleton key?" Onoji said. "I bet he has one of those."

"Nope," he replied. "Well, yes, I do have one of those, but I didn't use it. I felt like that would be cheating, you know."

"Maybe... Yoko let him in?" Niko said.

"She was asleep," Amaya said. "She couldn't have done it."

Hayato raised his hand. "Oh, I know! Maybe Masuta entered through the window!"

Katashi looked at me with a look of disapproval. "Did you guys really investigate Nakou's room?"

"Y-Yeah, we did..." I replied. "Why...?"

He sighed. "Then you should know that the windows of the rooms in the first floor can't be opened."

 _We should've checked that, Hayato!_ I thought, slightly embarrassed.

"Um..." Chihiro said. "Perhaps Yoko just forgot to lock the door?"

_...!_

"I agree with that!" I said.

"Wait..." Jasmine said. "Seriously? It can't be that simple."

"But it is," I said. "You see, when I left Yoko's room during the afternoon... I didn't lock the door. And she had already taken the medicine."

"She probably fell asleep very quickly," Aiko said. "And because of that, she wasn't able to lock the door...!"

Kaya laughed. "Wahahahaha! That's the power of _Miz Arfod_ for you!"

 _Come to think of it, I should definitely have asked Yoko to lock the door,_ I thought. _If only I'd done that...!_

"Well, I guess that clears things up," Jasmine said.

"...What do we do now?" Chihiro asked. "We still don't know who the second person is, nor do we have any clues pointing to the actual culprit. We know how Masuta brought Yoko from her room to the incinerator room, but since he can't be the culprit..."

She was right. We had made significant progress, but we were still far from the end.

"I wonder..." I said. "Why did Masuta bring Yoko's body to the incinerator room?"

"He called her trash, didn't he?" Jasmine said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he just didn't like her. He definitely seems like that kind of guy. Y'know, the murderous type."

"Hm... I'm not so sure," Amaya said. "His actions feel... meaningful. There must be a logical reason behind them."

"Masuta's existence doesn't make sense," Onoji said. "A criminal like him should've been caught by the police a long time ago, and yet he's still here."

Chihiro raised her hand. "Perhaps... Um... Perhaps the true culprit... _hired_ Masuta."

_They... hired Masuta?_

"Is that even allowed?" Hayato said.

"Well, I wouldn't say it's not allowed..." Masuta said. "But you'd have to give me a dang good reason to help you!"

"You _did_ give Itaki permission to open a store here," Amaya said. "And it was very easy to manipulate you into confirming Aiko's testimony earlier in the trial."

Masuta smiled. "Let's just say you'd have to do more than just praise me to make me break my own rules..."

"Then, could you tell us why you did it?" I asked.

Amaya smiled. "Pretty please?"

"Yeah, tell us!" Kaya shouted. "That's an order from the great Kaya Suzuya!"

"Nope! No way!" he said. "I've been talking way too much. From now on, I won't say anything! Not a single word!"

"Oh, that is better..." Saeka mumbled. "Your voice is annoying."

At that moment, Jasmine's eyes widened. "Oh, shit! I haven't given my testimony yet, have I? That's gotta be the clue to solving this mystery!"

"Your... testimony?" Saeka said, doubtful.

"Yeah!" Jasmine replied. "I saw the killer! Well, their shadow, to be more accurate. It was around 9 pm. They ran into the dining hall. I suppose they hid in the kitchen, as I didn't see anyone there when I went to check."

"Interesting, though useless," Katashi said. "What can we infer about it?"

"Uh..." she mumbled. "To be honest, I don't fucking know. But it's gotta be important somehow!"

"We can't even be certain the person you saw was the culprit, can we?" Hayato said. "Maybe what you saw wasn't even a person. You said you just saw their shadow, right? It might've been your imagination..."

Jasmine frowned. "No way! I'm sure of what I saw! And what I saw was the damn culprit!"

"9 pm is a bit too early," Chihiro said. "Didn't Aiko see Masuta at 9.45?"

"There is a forty-five minute gap..." I said.

"Make of it what you want, then," Jasmine muttered. "But mark my words! What I saw was definitely the fucking killer!"

"Hmpf... What a waste of time," Katashi said.

_Now... Where do we go from here?_

"Let's summarise everything up until now," Saeka said. "I believe we have a solid timeline."

"Sure," I said. "In the middle of the afternoon, I saw Yoko take the sleeping pills Kaya gave her. Later, at 7 pm, Onoji saw her sleeping in her bedroom. That was the last time she was seen alive. After that, at 9.45-"

"Don't forget my testimony!" Jasmine exclaimed. "There's no way you've already forgotten about it."

I sighed. "Fine... At 9 pm, Jasmine saw the shadow of the killer. They ran into the dining hall, but when she went there to check, they were nowhere to be seen."

She grinned. "Now that's better! Please, continue."

"At 9.45 pm," I said, "Aiko went to the laundry room. On her way there, she saw Masuta carrying a trash bag to the incinerator room. We now know that Yoko was inside that trash bag, unconscious. Shortly after Aiko left the laundry room, the night-time announcement rang. As a result, the door to the incinerator room was locked, and nobody could get inside."

"Hm..." Hayato mumbled. "I wonder if someone else went to the incinerator room while Aiko was in the laundry room..."

"Probably not," Aiko said. "As I said before, I didn't see anyone on my way back to the dormitory. If somebody had truly gone there, I would surely have at least heard their footsteps. When Masuta left the incinerator room, I heard his."

 _Oh, yeah,_ I thought. _I remember when the body discovery announcement rang, I could hear everyone's footsteps as they ran to the incinerator room. I suppose it's possible the same thing would apply to the laundry room..._

"The next day," I continued, "a few minutes after the morning announcement rang, I found Yoko's body in the incinerator room. The body discovery announcement played immediately thereafter, meaning I was the third person to find the corpse... or what remains of it, at least."

"The first person must be the killer," Itaki said, "whereas the second person... is innocent."

"I-I don't think they're that innocent, though," Denki said. "They've been hiding during the whole trial... Th-They can't possibly have good intentions."

"Well, I guess now's the proper time," Amaya said.

_Proper time... for what?_

As soon as she said that, all of the eyes in that courtroom turned towards her.

"Wait..." Jasmine said. " _You_ are the second person?!"

"Of course not!" Amaya replied. "I just know who they are!"

_Amaya... knows?_

"Why did you not say anything sooner?" Saeka asked. "We spent a huge amount of time discussing this topic. If you had told us who the second person was-"

"I get it, I get it," she said. "Hear me out, I have a reason."

 _What reason could she have for withholding information?_ I wondered.

"You see," she said, "I knew who the second person was since the beginning of the trial. They had talked to me during the investigation period. However, if I had told you who it was back then, the trial wouldn't have gone as smoothly as it did."

 _You call *that* smooth?!_ _It feels like we've just been slamming our heads against a hard stone wall for a whole hour!_

"Just now," she continued, "Daichi summed up everything we've uncovered up until this point. However, we haven't really found anything that'd point us toward the killer. In actuality, we haven't even begun."

Though I didn't think it was her intention, Amaya's words were harsh. And the worst part about it was that she was right. We hadn't made any real progress.

"Get to the point," Itaki said. "Just who is this second person?"

Amaya slowly pointed her finger towards one of us.

"It's you," she said.

_...WHAT?!_

I closed my eyes. I couldn't believe what was happening. All of my theories had just been burned to pieces, just like Yoko's body.

 _This is wrong..._ I thought. _Amaya is wrong... She has to be...!_

I could hear their voice. The voice of the person who had been lying to us since the very beginning.

"Huh? Me? I-I didn't see the body!"

"You told me so in the investigation," Amaya insisted. "It seems like you don't remember it, though."

"H-How could I have forgotten about something so important?!"

_Th-There's no way..._

"I mean, it's _you_ we're talking about," Jasmine said. "To be honest, I'm not really surprised."

_No way..._

Katashi laughed. "My prediction was that, whoever the second person ended up being, they'd either be really suspicious or really stupid. Somehow, you actually manage to be both!"

_No...!_

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes, fearful of the truth.

"O-Oh! I-I'm so sorry, guys! I totally forgot! I _did_ see Yoko's body yesterday! Haha! Silly me... Always forgetting about stuff..."

 _The second person..._ _I was so sure...! I was sure they would end up being a bad person. That was the only explanation... No... It still is! There's no way anyone could just forget about seeing a dead body, no matter how bad their memory might be! They must have been lying all along!_

_But..._

_How can I think that..._

_How can I think that when the liar is..._

"Hayato," Chihiro said. "So, _you_ are the second person, after all."

He sighed. "I guess... Ah, I can't believe I'd forgotten about that! A lot of stuff happened... It completely slipped my mind!"

"Are you sure you're not the killer?" Jasmine said. "You could've just forgotten about burning Yoko alive if you're really _that_ forgetful."

"N-No!" he stuttered. "I know I'm not the killer! Y-You can trust me!"

Hayato glanced at me. I avoided his gaze.

"Give us your testimony, then," Amaya said. A wry smile slowly formed on her face. "The real trial begins now."


	22. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Deadly Life - Part III

"The trial begins now."

Amaya's words kept vibrating inside my head. The end of the trial... The end of this chaos... It was just so far away...

_Hayato..._

I still couldn't believe it. Actually, the more accurate way to put it was that I _refused_ to believe it.

We had just discovered that Hayato had seen Yoko's body before me. That, in itself, was suspicious. To make things worse, he hadn't spoken a single word about it during the investigation.

"So, Hayato..." Amaya said. "Give us your testimony. We're waiting."

"Sure," he replied in a casual tone.

"...Be sure to not forget anything this time!" Niko shouted. "O-Otherwise..."

He smiled. "Don't worry about it, Niko. It'll be fine."

Niko lowered her head, avoiding making eye-contact with him. She didn't seem to be taking the new reveal very well. I couldn't say I was much different. Hayato was the first I'd met in that place. And despite our differences, we had become good friends.

Or at least, that's what I'd thought.

_No_... _Don't even think about it..._

"All right," Hayato began. "It was around 9 pm, I think. I was in my bedroom. I don't know why, but I couldn't really sleep. Haha! Maybe I'd got that illness from Yoko or something. I was even thinking of getting the pills from Kaya-"

Saeka crossed her arms. "Do not change the topic."

He sighed. "Sure, sure... Anyway... Erm... Where was I? Oh, yeah! I was in my bedroom, unable to fall asleep. So, I decided to get some fresh air. I opened my bedroom window and... I saw it! I saw Masuta carrying Yoko's body!"

_He did...?_

"What did you do next?" Amaya asked. "You must have done _something_ after seeing that."

"I was so frightened I almost fainted," Hayato said. "I just started shouting something like... Yoko! Yoko, are you all right?!"

Taking everyone by surprise, Jasmine shouted from across the courtroom. "Stop it right there! Did you _really_ remember what happened? Don't start making up bullshit as you go!"

"Huh?" he mumbled, confused. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Yoko was inside a goddamn trash bag, or have you forgotten about that?" she said, angry. "You couldn't possibly have seen her face, dumbass! You wouldn't know it was her! Heck, you wouldn't know it was a body in the first place!"

Hayato began to sweat. His naive smile started to dwindle after Jasmine's accusation.

"Jasmine is right..." Denki said. "I-I can't believe it... Y-You were... lying-"

Hayato shook his arms desperately. "I-I can explain that!"

Katashi smirked. "Can you, though? I'd love to hear you try."

Hayato looked at me, as if asking for help. Once again, I looked away.

_This is your problem,_ I thought.

He gulped. "O-Okay... Um... You see, Masuta... He..."

"Speak louder," Saeka said. "At this rate, no one will hear you."

He took a deep breath. "Fine..."

Hayato closed his eyes, probably in order to calm himself down. Or perhaps, he was using that time to come up with an excuse.

"I got it!" he said. "Yoko's face wasn't covered. I don't know why Masuta left the trash bag like that, though. Nonetheless, I could see it clearly. That's why-"

_...Wait a second!_

"That's impossible," I interrupted.

Hayato slowly turned his eyes toward me. "Daichi...?"

He started to shiver more and more. Sweat was already dripping from his face. He couldn't smile anymore. His expression... was of complete worry and fear.

"H-Hey... Did you say somethin-"

"Your testimony is a complete fabrication," I said. "I'm not only referring to the last bit _—_ I'm talking about the whole thing... It's all a lie."

I tried to act serious, though I spoke hesitantly.

I tried not to think of Hayato as a friend, but as a possible culprit. Yet, it struggled to do it.

I glanced at Niko, whom Hayato had helped. She had her eyes closed.

_Hayato..._

_When you shared your experiences with me..._

_When we explored this campus together..._

_When we played your stupid games..._

_When we laughed after you drank too much coffee..._

_When you helped Niko suppress her fears and enter the elevator..._

_All of those memories..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_...Were those mere lies as well?!_

I felt tears coming from my eyes. I wanted to hold them back, but I couldn't.

"Wh-What are you talking about, Daichi?" Hayato asked. "You can't be serious."

He looked at me with teary eyes. He was asking me to stop it. A genuine plea to let him go.

_You lied... Hayato lied..._

I examined his expression once again, trying to be a bit more logical than before. More sceptical. His tears... His cheerful exterior... Our friendship... It was all fake. At that moment, that became clear to me.

_It's all fake_ , I thought. _To be honest, it shouldn't be a surprise. We've just known each other for only a week. I don't know a single thing about him. I don't know a single thing about anyone here, for that matter. I can't believe how naive I was..._

I wiped the tears off my eyes. My hesitation had disappeared, or so I hoped. The truth was as clear as ever. And it was time to show it.

_I don't want to be naive anymore._

_I... need to show everyone the truth...!_

"Please, everyone," I said. "Take a look at this map."

I grabbed my e-Handbook and opened the map, trying to show it to everyone in the courtroom. However, the screen was too small.

Masuta raised his hand.

_He wants to speak...?_

"Whatever," I muttered. "Say what you have to say, Masuta. But be quick about it. This trial is way better with you silent."

"Of course," he replied. "It's one thing about this courtroom. See that monitor over there?"

Masuta pointed towards the monitor behind him. It still showed the words "CLASS TRIAL - IN SESSION".

"If you want to show a picture," he said, "just ask me. That's all, my friends! Please, continue the trial! It's getting _really_ interesting, wouldn't you say?"

Just as Masuta finished speaking, the big monitor began displaying the school map. To be more specific, the outside area map.

"Please, Daichi," Saeka said.

_I'm not sorry, Hayato_ , I thought.

"Okay," I began. "Let's suppose what Hayato's saying is right. This is where Masuta would be... And this is where Hayato's bedroom is."

"I don't see any problems," Hayato said. "What are you even talking about, Daichi?"

I decided to ignore his question. "Now, take a closer look. Can you see this dark-green area?"

At that moment, his eyes widened as he realised his mistake.

"This green area... Those are trees," I said.

"The trees in front of the dormitory, I see," Aiko said. "They... They block the view from Hayato's window!"

"Exactly," I said. "Hayato wouldn't be able to see Masuta. His whole testimony is... a lie."

_I remember... When we first explored Hayato's room, he said..._

* * *

_"Aw, man..." Hayato sighed. He had just opened the bedroom window. "Since this room is on the second floor and all, I expected a nice view from here, but it's just a bunch of trees! I can't see anything!"_

* * *

_...There's just no way Hayato saw Masuta from that window!_

"Hold on!" Amaya said. "Hayato, you told me you'd seen the corpse! Why would you tell me that if it were just a lie?!"

"I... I-I..." he stuttered. He couldn't come up with a proper reply. "Th-This is all a lie! Daichi is lying! I don't know why, but he's totally lying!"

_So you're accusing *me* now?!_ I thought, annoyed.

"Amaya is right..." Aiko said. "I don't see why Hayato would lie."

"Y-Yeah..." Denki said. "I-It just brought attention over to him. A-And it only ended up making him look more suspicious."

"I bet he lied," Onoji said, "because he's the culprit!"

"HEY!" Hayato shouted. "I-I'M NOT THE KILLER!"

"There is one reason..." I said. "One reason for Hayato to lie..."

He looked at me, and he seemed... angry?

"Don't you dare say anything, Daichi," he ordered.

"Hayato," I said, "I don't know whether you're the culprit or not just yet, but I know one thing for a fact: you _did_ see Yoko's body yesterday, didn't you?!"

Hayato took a step back. Judging by his reaction, I knew I'd hit right on the money.

"And if you did see the body," I continued, "then there's only one place you could have been at."

"...And where would it be?" he asked, serious.

"Here!"

"But that's..." Chihiro said. "That's where Masuta would have been...!"

"That's exactly my point," I said. "Hayato met Masuta that night! Or, at the very least, he found the trash bag with Yoko inside it!"

Hayato's face became red. "Wh-What are you trying to say?!"

"Shut it!" Kaya replied. "You don't have the right to speak! The great Kaya Suzuya says so!"

"I kinda agree with her on that one," Jasmine said.

_*BAAM!*_

Hayato slammed his fist on his podium, making a loud sound. "NO!"

"Kiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Niko screamed. "Wh-Wh-What was that for?!"

Hayato frowned. "How come I don't have the right to speak?! I must defend myself! Yeah, I was outside the dormitory that night! However, that doesn't mean I did anything wrong! Okay, I admit that I lied! I didn't see Yoko's body!"

"Wait..." Aiko said. "So... You're _not_ the second person?"

Hayato sighed. "No, I'm not... I'm sorry..."

_Changed your story again, huh?_ I thought.

"We'll see about that," Itaki said. "For now, we should discuss the implications of our new discovery."

"H-He must be the killer!" Onoji said. "It's the most plausible explanation!"

"Hold on, Onoji," Aiko said. "Don't jump to conclusions. We only know that Hayato was outside the dormitory during the night of the murder."

"But that still makes him our main suspect," he replied.

"H-Hey!" Hayato shouted.

_Onoji is correct,_ I thought. _I'm sure Hayato is heavily involved in this case. And I think I know how he fits into the bigger picture..._

"Assuming he didn't make up the time when he saw the body," Amaya said, "we can infer that he was outside at around 9 pm."

"Yes, that's when he saw the body," I said. "I'm positive."

Hayato pointed his finger at me. "You just keep rambling about me seeing the body! But you don't ever elaborate on it! You don't have any proof!"

"Hayato, you did it," I insisted.

"No, I did not!"

"YES, YOU DID!"

"NO, I DIDN'T! I did _not_ stab Yoko!"

After that last sentence, the courtroom went silent. Hayato didn't seem to understand any of it.

"Huh?" he mumbled. "Wh-What's wrong...?"

"Ha... Hahaha!"

Katashi suddenly burst out laughing.

"That's just an act, isn't it?" he said. "You can't be _that_ stupid!"

"H-Hey!" Hayato replied. "Wh-What are you talking about?"

Denki gasped. "Y-You said something... Something about... S-Stabbing Yoko...?"

Instinctively, Hayato covered his mouth with his hands.

"N-No," he stuttered. "Y-You've got it wrong...! I... I... I-I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!"

_You shouldn't have said that, Hayato,_ I thought.

"Hayato..." Aiko said. "I don't think anyone has mentioned Yoko being _stabbed_."

"I-I meant burned!" he replied. "Y'know... Stabbing is a way more common method of murder... I just... I just..."

I crossed my arms. "Forgot about it?"

He averted his eyes. "Y-Yeah..."

"Hold on a sec," Jasmine said. "I'm lost. What the fuck are you guys talking about?"

_I have to show it,_ I thought. _The evidence that shows what Hayato did that night._

"I can explain, Jasmine," I said. "Near those trees in front of the dormitory, we found a pool of blood and a knife. That's the 'stabbing' Hayato was referring to."

"Yeah, it was pretty weird, considering Yoko had been burned," Amaya said. "The weirdest part about it, though, was Hayato's reaction upon seeing it... He was almost trying to make us avoid looking at it."

* * *

_"H-How do you know Yoko was the one who was stabbed?" he asked. "For all we know, it could have been someone else entirely!"_

* * *

_"S-Still..." he mumbled. "I don't see how this is relevant to Yoko's case... Her body was found in the incinerator room, after all."_

* * *

_I knew it! So I wasn't the only one who'd thought Hayato's behaviour was strange!_

"So, when Daichi went to inspect the blood more closely," Amaya said, "I interrogated Hayato. And that's when he told me about seeing the body."

"We're lucky to have you and your intuition, miss," Itaki said. "Otherwise, none of this would have actually come to light."

Kaya rolled her eyes. "Nah, we would've figured it out anyway. Mr. Mizuki is a stupid culprit."

Hayato frowned. "Y-You haven't actually proved that I'm the culprit! We can't even be sure Yoko was stabbed!"

Amaya smiled provocatively. "You looked _really_ sure that she was stabbed just now."

"I-It's too late to take your words back..." Denki said.

Hayato was at a loss for words. His little slip-up had cost him the whole trial.

"Hayato, you stabbed-" I said.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT?!" he yelled, interrupting me. "There's no concrete proof that Yoko was-"

"I will cut through your words!"

_There *is* proof!_

"The trash bag incinerator!" I exclaimed. "There's a cut in the middle of it. And there's also dry blood surrounding it! That cut is evidence that Yoko was stabbed while she was still inside that trash bag!"

Without noticing it, I was shouting, using all of the air my lungs could store. Was this a result of the intensity of the trial? Or was this a way to make me forget about Hayato? I didn't really know. It didn't matter.

"Um... I'm sorry, but..." Chihiro said. "There's one thing that doesn't make sense..."

"What is it?" I asked.

"The time when Hayato saw Masuta..." she said. "It was around 9 pm, right? It doesn't match with Aiko's testimony. She saw Masuta at 9.45."

"Y-Yeah, that's right!" Hayato said. "See?! It's all a lie!"

"We do know that someone was doing something shady at 9 pm, though," Amaya said.

_Amaya is right,_ I thought. _There is one thing to prove Hayato stabbed Yoko at 9 pm._

"R-Really?" Niko asked.

"Jasmine's testimony," I said.

Amaya smiled. "Yup, Daichi's correct."

"Heck yeah!" Jasmine exclaimed. "I knew it'd be important!"

Amaya nodded. "Jasmine mentioned seeing a shadow of someone running towards the dining hall around 9 pm."

Hayato pointed his finger towards her. "W-Wait a minute! Why would I go to the dining hall in the first place?!"

"To hide from me, of course," Jasmine said.

"Um... Wouldn't the dormitory be a better place, then?" Chihiro said. "No one would find him if he was in his own room."

"Exactly!" he said. "If I had done it, I wouldn't have gone to the dining hall!"

_What they are saying is true,_ I thought. _However, I'm sure Jasmine saw Hayato. The time matches perfectly. If that's the case, then why did Hayato go to the dining hall?_

"I got it!" I said. "Hayato _didn't_ go to the dining hall!"

Hayato sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you, Daichi! Oof! Fortunately, it looks like you're still the smart guy I know as a friend."

"Jasmine," I said, ignoring his comment, "you didn't see anyone in the dining hall when you went there to check, did you?"

"No, I didn't," Jasmine replied. "It was completely empty. Since I didn't see anyone leaving, I bet whoever was there hid in the kitchen."

"The... kitchen?" Aiko asked. "Oh...!"

"Uh?" Hayato mumbled. "Wh-Why's the kitchen important?"

"You should know the answer," I said. "That knife you used to stab Yoko... You got it from the kitchen! That's what I meant! You weren't heading to the dining hall itself _—_ you were heading to the kitchen! To grab the knife!"

All of the pieces of that puzzle had started to click. Everything was starting to make a little more sense.

"NO!" he shouted. "I-I mean...! I-I... Er... Um... Eh... I-I...!"

He couldn't come up with a reply. He had no arguments left.

"Wait..." Denki said. "So, we found the culprit? W-Was it really Hayato?"

"Of course!" Onoji replied. "It's the only possible answer!"

"Are we sure it's Hayato, then?" Jasmine said. "Should we just vote for him?"

Itaki nodded. "I suppose so. He's not making any counter-arguments."

Hayato lowered his head, hiding his eyes from our view.

_...What is he thinking?_ _We've got him cornered. He'll die if he doesn't say anything._

"H-Hayato...?" Niko called him, but to no response.

"Forget about him," Jasmine said. "He's not your friend. He's just a liar."

Niko glanced at him. "H-He is...?"

I crossed my arms. "Hayato, why won't you say anything? You're being accused of being the culprit. If you don't speak up, everyone will vote for you. Including me."

I still couldn't see his face. I wondered what he was feeling. Anger? Fear? Guilt?

After a few moments of silence, Hayato finally opened his mouth. "Please, Masuta."

"Hm?"

"Please... Let's move onto the voting."

I gasped. _What...?! He's giving up that easily?!_

Katashi laughed. "Ha! So, you're giving up? Well, at least you know that there wasn't anything left for you to do."

"Oh well..." Hayato mumbled. "You are right... My time here has come to an end."

At that moment, he raised his head.

_No way.._. I thought. _He's... smiling_... _.?!_

He had a warm smile on his face. It wasn't the kind of smile you'd see on someone who was about to die. He seemed oddly happy.

"Haha!" he laughed. "You totally got me, guys!"

"You cannot be serious..." Saeka muttered.

"I am!" he replied. "I admit it... I stabbed Yoko! Nothing you can do about it. Haha!"

_This is... weird_ , I thought.

"H-He admitted it!" Onoji exclaimed. "We must vote now. R-Right?"

"Um... Yes... I think?" Chihiro replied.

"Of course we should vote!" Jasmine shouted. "Hayato's the fucking killer! There's nothing more to this mystery."

_I... I don't know why..._ I thought. _But I'm not entirely sure about that anymore... Something feels... off._

Aiko raised her hand. "Look, everyone. I know you are excited to have finally arrived at a conclusion, but-"

"No but's!" Hayato interrupted. "I did it, alright! I stabbed Yoko in the guts! Then, Masuta carried her body all the way to the incinerator and burned it!"

There was nothing different about his attitude. He spoke the same way he always had.

"You... monster!" Niko exclaimed, crying. "How... How can you-?!"

"How can I speak so calmly about this?" Hayato said. "It's simple, really. It's because... I'm certain I did the right thing."

_I don't like where this is going..._

"Woah, now that's new," Amaya said. "Being the Ultimate Pacifist and all... Wouldn't you be fighting for... y'know, peace?"

He giggled. "Haha! Of course! I _am_ fighting for peace!"

_...What?_

"B-But you killed Yoko..." Denki replied.

Hayato hung his head. "I did that, yeah... And I do feel bad for her..."

Denki yelled, "Th-Then why did you-?!"

"...Someone had to do it!" Hayato replied. "Otherwise... This suffering would never end!"

Onoji looked at him. "...I don't get it."

"We're all trapped here, can't you see?" Hayato said. "As long as this killing game goes on, we'll have to live here... forever..."

"...In other words, you only wanted to escape?" Itaki replied.

"Wha-? Of course not," Hayato replied. "If I'd managed to get away with it, then good, but I'd really be fine either way."

"You're fine with getting executed...?" Chihiro asked.

Hayato sighed. "I'm not sure if it'd be a particularly pleasant experience, but yeah, I wouldn't mind it."

"Y-You... still haven't told us why..." Niko said, sobbing. "Why... Why would you do something like that, Hayato?! I-I... I trusted you!"

"...As long as the killing game continues," Hayato said, "our lives will all be worthless. We'll all spend the rest of our days doubting each other, no one will be able to escape from this place, and..."

_...Something about this is seriously wrong,_ I thought.

"...I hate that," Hayato continued, leaning on his podium. "I hate that more than anything else in this world. That's why... I think it's best if we just play the game as Masuta intended."

"What...?!" Aiko gasped.

"If we keep going," Hayato said, "there is a chance that at least one of us will be able to find peace, be it by becoming the blackened or finding an unexpected escape route. Don't you think that's worth putting your life on the line? Don't you want to believe in the possibility that at least one of us will be able to do something meaningful with their lives instead of rotting away here? Because I certainly do."

_This... can't be Hayato's motive..._

"Y-You're... crazy..." Niko said quietly.

"Obviously, not all of us will be able to achieve peace," Hayato sighed. "That's really unfortunate. I, for instance, know I'm certainly going to die here. But even so... I'm not sad. And that's all because... My death is going to have meaning. I know I'll die having fought for the chance that some of you-"

"NO, THAT'S WRONG!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Daichi...?"

Hayato's words were as fake as the ones from before. He hadn't changed. He was still the same liar.

"You argue that this is going to lead us to peace," I said, "but... I don't think you're being genuine."

His "motive" didn't sound correct. Just like our "friendship", it sounded fake. There had to be something deeper, I just didn't know what it was.

_Hayato's logic is complete nonsense... and I think he knows that. There's absolutely no way he's *that* crazy—it's Hayato we're talking about after all._

_This is the same Hayato that once told me..._

* * *

_"If I Masuta weren't here... and we didn't have to worry about what's happening in the outside world... I wouldn't mind living here."_

* * *

_It just... doesn't make sense...!_

I took a deep breath. "...If one of us really manages to win the game and escape, do you really think they'll have achieved 'peace'? Being responsible for the deaths of everyone else... Carrying that burden...! In what world would you call that peace?!"

Hayato didn't reply.

"The truth is..." I said. "You don't. You don't call that peace, Hayato. I know you don't. And I know that because this so-called 'motive' of yours... is also a lie. All of it—from telling us that you think we should play the game to claiming that you're fine with sacrificing your own life just so a few of us could escape. I don't believe a single word of it."

His true motive was still hidden.

_What is going through your mind, Hayato?!_

"...I thought you'd understand it, Daichi," Hayato replied. "More than anyone else here, I thought you'd understand what it feels to devote your life to the pursuit of your dream... You just seemed like that kind of person. I think that's why we got along so well. You also... have something that you need to do..."

"Wh-What are you...?"

"...Because it's something only you can do, right?"

At that moment, my heart skipped a beat—there was truth present in Hayato's words. Somehow, it felt as if we'd known each other for longer than we had.

"Fighting for peace... That's how I'll die," he said. "It's the reason for which I was born. My fate, you could say. I can't escape from it. I don't think that's a bad thing, though. I'm proud of it. If this is what gives meaning to my life... then I'll fully embrace it."

I didn't know what to make of it.

"...Be sure to vote for me, okay?" he said, giving me a casual smile.

"I, the great Kaya Suzuya, have officially found someone who is crazier than me!" Kaya exclaimed. "The unthinkable has happened!"

Onoji nodded. "I'll be sure to vote for Hayato..."

"Me too," Jasmine said. "You'll do the same, right Denki?"

"Y-Yes," Denki replied, lowering his head.

_Most of us have decided to vote for Hayato,_ I thought. _But... Is that really the right answer?_

"Y-You m-monster..." Niko muttered.

Even Niko seemed to have made up her mind.

"Are you all sure?" Aiko said. "This is how it ends? I still have some doubts... Don't you guys want to discuss-"

"Can't you just accept it?" Katashi said. "Mizuki is the killer."

Jasmine sighed. "I hate to say it, Aiko, but Katashi is right. What else is there to discuss?"

_Argh...! Why?! Why did I begin to doubt my own theories? Why did I start to second-guess myself? When did it all go wrong?!_

"Daichi," Hayato said. "Vote for me, okay? I did it. I'm the culprit. Don't hesitate. I'm not your frien-"

"NO, THAT'S WRONG!"

Everyone was suddenly looking at me.

_D-Did I shout too loud...?_ I wondered, embarrassed.

"Huh?" he mumbled. "Wow, I didn't know our friendship was that important to-"

"N-NOT THAT!" I replied, angry.

It was clear. So clear I couldn't look away from it.

_Daichi, don't avert your eyes from the truth.... That's what you said, wasn't it, Hayato?_

"Hayato, I won't vote for you," I said, "...because you're not the killer."

Some people glared at me awkwardly. Of course, they still believed Hayato was the killer.

_I was the one to push that theory forward, and now, I'm going to have to refute it. Ironic, isn't it? Well, either way, I'm certain of it. There is no way Hayato is-_

"Don't look away from the truth, Daichi."

I couldn't take it anymore.

I frowned. "DON'T YOU DARE START THIS REVERSE-PSYCHOLOGY BULLSHIT WITH ME! It's still true that you stabbed Yoko! You may not be the killer, but you're not innocent either, so don't expect me to go easy on you once this is all set and done!"

"W-Wait, Daichi," Hayato stuttered. "Th-There's no need to-"

"I know you're still lying," I said. "You must be plotting something. This whole trial... It's been going all according to _your_ plans, hasn't it?!"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

_He's definitely still lying, I'm sure of it...!_

"Um..." Chihiro mumbled.

"Y-Yes?" I asked.

"I don't get it..." she said. "What... exactly are you saying?"

Amaya smiled. "I can explain it."

_...Amaya?_

Amaya looked at me and blinked. I smiled in return.

"I agree with Daichi," she said. "Hayato's not the killer."

"But I already confessed!" Hayato exclaimed. "I was the one to do it! I stabbed Yoko! Is that too hard to understand?!"

"You didn't do it," she said.

"I did it."

"No, you did _not_."

"Yes, I _did_."

"No, you did _not_."

"YES, I DID!"

"NO, YOU DID NOT!"

**"YES, I DID!!!!"**

I looked around. For the most part, the others didn't seem to understand what was going on.

"That's exactly what I wanted everyone to see," Amaya said. "Your reaction, Hayato."

He stepped back. That was another slip-up.

_Actually, this might be the *first* slip-up._ _I bet the other one was intentional..._

Amaya glared at Hayato, serious. "Hayato... _wants_ to be chosen as the killer."

"What kind of crazy theory is that?!" Hayato shouted. "This is unbelievable! I've admitted to my crime! Do you want to die that badly?!"

He began to look angry. Genuinely angry.

"Hayato, what kind of cold-blooded killer _wants_ to be caught?" Amaya asked.

"Wh-What?!" he replied. "If you don't vote for me, then you will die!"

"Up until now," she said, "you made sure to make yourself look suspicious. Acting weirdly during the investigation... Supposedly forgetting about what you saw... Creating a complete lie of a testimony... Slipping up about 'not stabbing Yoko'... Telling us that made-up motive... It's all an act to make us doubt you. You want to be chosen as the culprit. And _that_ is the truth."

Hayato didn't reply.

"You played your act perfectly," Saeka said. " _Too_ perfectly."

"Hm?" Kaya mumbled. "What are you trying to say, best friend Saeka? You agree with Ms. Chinen?"

"Anyone with enough intelligence would be able to see through Hayato's lie," she replied. "Did you all seriously believe it? It was... too forced."

"U-Um," Denki stuttered. "I-I'm still not sure... Hayato is really suspicious... Wh-Why would he be lying if he weren't the culprit?"

"There are plenty of possible explanations," Itaki said. "Madness... A bigger conspiracy... Suicidal tendencies... Or maybe just a lack of brain cells."

"Hayato may be crazy," Jasmine said, "but that's a little too much. You're suggesting this is all a lie within a lie? Yeah, I'm not buying that. He must be the culprit. He stabbed Yoko, and there's no denying that."

"We... We know Masuta can't be the culprit," Onoji said. "And since he's the one who burned the body... blood loss must be the true cause of death."

"I-I agree," Niko said. "After all this... There's no way Hayato is innocent!"

_It looks like some people still don't agree with us_ , I thought.

"Haven't you listened to Amaya?" Aiko said. "She made some compelling arguments. I think she might be on the right track. Why don't we give this theory a chance?"

"Compelling arguments?" Katashi replied. "Oh, please, don't make me laugh. That's as good a theory as whatever comes out of Suzuya's mouth."

Kaya gasped. "WHA-! Are you doubting the great theories of the great Kaya Suzuya?!"

Katashi ignored her. "What the detective girl over there said was just a hunch. Nothing more, nothing less. You don't have any real arguments, Chinen, do you? There is no actual proof that Mizuki isn't the killer."

Amaya looked away, refusing to reply.

Katashi looked at me. "What about you, Abe? I had higher expectations for you, y'know? Why did you change your mind so quickly?"

_Dammit, he's right..._ I thought. _Argh! I don't have anything to prove him wrong!_

_Why was I so certain Hayato was lying? There was nothing to back that up..._

_...However, I..._

_...I still want to believe in this theory._

"What makes you think your hunch deserves our trust?" Katashi asked.

"Yeah!" Hayato said. "Show us proof! Proof that I'm not the killer! Until then, I _am_ the culprit!"

Saeka sighed, shaking her head. "You do realise you are only further corroborating our point, right?"

"Hayato's never going to change," I said. "We have to move on and ignore that bother."

"Um..." Denki said. "H-How can we move on? Some of us still think Hayato's the killer..."

"I'm sorry, Daichi," Chihiro said. "Personally, I don't really buy it..."

"Come on, guys!" Amaya said. "We're not gonna solve this mystery if we don't move on!"

"As I've said before," Itaki said, "I've got some business to attend to. Why don't we just assume Hayato's innocent and resume our discussion? Amaya and Daichi's theory seems perfectly reasonable to me."

Chihiro lowered her head. "It looks like we're split right down in the middle..."

"HOLD ON!"

We all turned towards Masuta.

He giggled. "Did I hear someone say that you are split right down in the middle?"

"Um... Y-Yes," Chihiro replied shyly. "That is exactly what I-"

"Upupupupu!" he giggled. "Oh boy! I've been waiting for this moment!"

"What... moment?" Onoji asked, worried.

"The moment I present you..." Masuta replied, "...our own MORPHENOMENAL TRIAL GROUNDS!"

Masuta exclaimed those words full of excitement, though no one else seemed to share this sentiment.

_...He copied that from the games too?_

"Morpho- who?" Amaya said. "What kind of weeb shit is that?"

"You soon shall witness its glory!" Masuta replied. "Embrace yourselves, my friends! Oh, and just a tip. Hold onto your podiums. Be sure not to fall~!"

After that, a button appeared in front of him. With no hesitation, he pushed it. And soon after, the ground began to shake.

"WH-WHOA!" Aiko shouted. "B-Be careful, everyone!"

Just as I'd imagined, everyone's podiums started to float. Forming a sort of spiral, they slowly began their ascension.

_I'd never thought this would work in real life,_ I thought. _Seriously, where did Masuta get this technology?! This looks like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie!_

In a matter of seconds, we were already near the ceiling. I looked down, though I soon regretted doing so.

"This... This really is dangerous."

The ground was really far below us. Unless they were some kind of superhero, if one were to fall from their stand, they surely would die.

_I guess I better take care_ , I thought, clinging harder to my podium as it continued its ascent.

"I didn't think a scrum debate would be this scary..." Niko mumbled.

"S-Scrum debate...?" Denki asked.

"...It's not important," I said.

"Upupupu!" Masuta giggled. "It's time for you to decide. The question is... Is Hayato Mizuki the culprit?"

The stands formed two straight lines. Those who thought Hayato was the culprit were on the left, whereas those who didn't were on the right.

_It's time to show them... the truth!_

* * *

[SCRUM DEBATE MUSIC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32GWbQt_Zn4)

* * *

**Hayato is the culprit**

Hayato  
Onoji  
Chihiro  
Niko  
Denki  
Jasmine  
Katashi

* * *

**Hayato is not the culprit**

Daichi - lie  
Amaya - confession  
Itaki - kitchen  
Aiko - suspects  
Saeka - testimony  
Kaya - motive  
Touka - stabbing

* * *

**Jasmine:** I saw Hayato hide in the kitchen!

Itaki!

**Itaki:** Hiding inside the kitchen doesn't make him a killer, does it?

* * *

**Niko:** B-But Hayato lied during his testimony!

Saeka!

**Sakea:** He purposefully told us a false testimony with the intent of making himself look suspicious.

* * *

**Onoji:** There's no denying that Hayato is guilty of Yoko's stabbing. He must be the killer!

Touka!

**Touka:** ...

Touka...? Please?

**Touka:** ...The stabbing... It may not be the cause of death...

* * *

**Chihiro:** But Hayato already gave us a clear motive...

Kaya!

**Kaya:** You call _that_ a motive?! It's just random nonsense! No one would actually believe that sort of stuff! Wahahaha!

* * *

**Denki:** W-We don't have any other possible suspects...

Aiko!

**Aiko:** I'm sure we'll find other suspects if we continue our discussion.

* * *

**Hayato:** I already admitted to my crime! Why are you being so stubborn about not accepting my confession?!

Amaya!

**Amaya:** You want to be chosen as the killer. That confession is just another part of the act you're putting up.

* * *

**Katashi** : We can't be sure of that. That could just be Abe's lie, don't you think?

Me!

**Daichi:** We'll find out whether it's a lie or not if we talk this through!

* * *

**"This is our answer!"**

**Hayato is not the culprit**

* * *

After that intense debate, our seats returned to their original position.

"Are we all on the same page now?" Amaya asked.

"I-I suppose so..." Denki replied. "It's still hard to believe, though..."

"Why would Hayato put up an act in the first place?" Jasmine asked. "That's the only part I still can't understand."

"We don't know," I said. "For now, all we can do is hope Hayato explains himself."

Amaya sighed. "I don't think he'll be doing that anytime soon, though..."

I glanced at Hayato. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, not paying any more attention to the discussion.

_We can deal with him later,_ I thought. _For now, let's continue with the trial._

"W-Wait..." Niko mumbled. "So... Hayato going crazy... saying we should play the game as Masuta intended... the whole thing about 'achieving peace'... were lies as well?"

"Pretty much," Amaya replied. "There might have been some bits of truth sprinkled throughout what he said, but I think it's safe to say most of it was made up of lies, yeah."

"He had to convince us to vote for him," Itaki said, "so he came up with a motive that would make us more willing to do so."

"Damn, that was some Oscar worthy acting..." Jasmine sighed.

"...I would not give him that much praise," Saeka said. "Do you recall that one 'slip-up' of his?"

* * *

_"_ _NO, I DIDN'T! I did not stab Yoko!"_

* * *

"...It basically gave it away," Saeka said. "It felt way too forced."

_Looking back on it, the timing felt a bit too perfect..._

"I get that some of you are still questioning Hayato's intentions," Aiko said, "but we should be focusing on something else for now—we have to look for other possible suspects, remember?"

_She's right,_ I thought. _We were so focused on Hayato... Now, we've run out of suspects._

"B-But who?" Onoji asked. "If it isn't Hayato, then it can only be Masuta. He was the one who burned Yoko's body."

"But we've already established Masuta can't be the culprit, haven't we?" Chihiro said.

_...Where do we go from here?_

"Why don't we take another look at our timeline?" Itaki said.

Saeka nodded. "Yes, perhaps that will help us."

"All right..." Aiko said. "Yoko took the pills during the afternoon. Later the same day, Onoji saw her sleeping. Since the door was unlocked, Masuta entered the room and-"

"Hold up!" Jasmine exclaimed. "There's something fishy I just noticed."

"And what would it be?" Itaki asked.

"Why didn't Onoji realise the door was unlocked?" she asked. "He did look through the hole in the door lock."

We all looked towards Onoji, who had begun to sweat.

"S-Simple," he replied. "I-I just didn't check... I didn't even think of touching the door handle... I wouldn't know it was unlocked..."

"So you went straight into full perv-mode, huh," Jasmine said.

Aiko sighed. "I've already told you that I'm going to shove some sense into him... Now, can we move on from this?"

Without delay, Aiko continued to detail the timeline.

"So, Masuta entered Yoko's room," she said, "and put her inside a trash bag. He then proceeded to walk out of the dormitory. Probably at around 9 pm, Hayato left the dormitory. And somehow he stumbled upon Yoko's body..."

"We don't have many details regarding that last part..." Chihiro said.

"Why don't we ask Hayato, then?" I said.

I glanced at him once again. He still had his head lowered.

"I left the dormitory at around 9 pm, just as you guessed," he said, void of any emotion. "I walked around for a while. Then, I stumbled upon the trash bag containing Yoko's body. It was lying on the ground, right in front of the dormitory. I didn't see Masuta there, but I believe he was hiding among the nearby bushes."

"Um... Why would Masuta be hiding?" Chihiro asked.

"I bet he just saw Hayato approaching," Jasmine said, "and thought it was a good opportunity to make the trial more complicated."

"No, it might be even more than that," Amaya said. "Remember how Hayato said he takes a night-walk everyday?"

* * *

_"Maybe they didn't have a reason," Hayato said. "Personally, I take a night-walk every day. Perhaps it's the same for this 'second person'. They found the body by accident."_

* * *

"Since Masuta has cameras everywhere," Amaya explained, "he must have known about that. He knew Hayato would show up eventually, so he just waited for him. Am I right, Masuta?"

Masuta giggled. "Upupupu! Right on the money!"

I sighed. _Of course Masuta would do that..._

"Then, I went to the kitchen," Hayato said. "That's when Jasmine saw me. I got a knife from there and stabbed Yoko. I returned to my room soon after."

Finally, we had gotten Hayato's actual testimony, or so I hoped.

"Wait..." Jasmine said. "That must mean I passed right past the body when I went back to the dormitory! Eeeek!"

"Did you perhaps stab it, too?" Katashi said, grinning.

Jasmine frowned. "Don't you dare...!"

He laughed. "Ha! I'm just joking."

"AND I'LL MURDER THE SHIT OUT OF YOU!"

_If we survive this trial, Katashi certainly has something coming for him..._

"Anyway," Aiko said, "Masuta must have waited a while before coming out of his hiding spot."

"During this time period," Saeka said, "between 9 pm and 9.45 pm, everyone was either in the dormitory or in the library."

"Masuta probably came out of hiding when he heard Aiko's footsteps," I said.

"Hm... That makes sense," Amaya said. "Why would he wait so long, though? If what you're saying is true, Daichi, then Masuta hid among those bushes for a whole 45-minute period."

"That's a long time..." Niko said.

"M-Maybe he just wanted to confuse us?" Denki said.

"That sounds plausible," Itaki replied. "If Masuta hadn't waited, we could have more easily linked Jasmine's account to the murder. After all, the time would have matched perfectly."

"Still, it sounds a bit weird..." Amaya said.

"L-Let's forget about that for now," Onoji said. "We must focus on what's important. Masuta was the only one who could have committed the murder, aside from Hayato."

_Onoji has been really stubborn about this, hasn't he?_ I thought.

"We'll see about that," Aiko replied. "We know he came out of hiding a bit before 9.45 pm. I saw him go to the incinerator room."

"We aren't getting anything more out of that simple timeline," Jasmine said. "We gotta be making some real progress."

Onoji sighed. "It's useless if you keep insisting on this wrong theory. It's either Masuta or Hayato. There are no other suspects."

_I know for a fact those two aren't the culprit, as much as I would like it to be otherwise_ , I thought. _I must find another suspect..._

"Let's try thinking for a second, all right?" Aiko said.

"Sure," Chihiro replied. "What do you have in mind?"

She crossed her arms. "Who stabbed Yoko?"

"That would be Hayato," Itaki replied.

"Who took Yoko to the incinerator room?"

"Th-That's Masuta," Denki said.

Amaya raised an eyebrow. "Why are you even asking those questions, Aiko?"

"Please, hang in there with me," Aiko replied. "Now, who burned Yoko's body?"

"Masuta," I said.

"Are there any other ways Yoko was injured?"

"Of course not," Katashi said.

Aiko's attitude seemed a bit abnormal. She looked somewhat upset, as if she'd just realised a sad truth.

"If all of the answers are correct," she said, "then it's either Masuta or Hayato. If they're not.... then we should be able to find the true culprit."

"...The answers are all correct," Onoji said. "End of discussion."

"The great Kaya Suzuya needs a bit more time to think..." Kaya said.

_Those questions..._

_Who stabbed Yoko? Hayato._

_Who took Yoko to the incinerator room? Masuta._

_Who burned her? Masuta._

_Are there any other ways Yoko could have been injured? No._

_Which one of them is wrong?_

"I... I think I got it," I said.

_There's no way..._ I thought. _No way... If that's the truth... the culprit is... No! It can't be!_

"What is it, Daichi?" Aiko asked. "Did you figure it out?"

I didn't want to say it. But I knew I had to. There was no other way.

"Daichi...?" Amaya mumbled, looking at me.

"The one who burned Yoko's body..." I said. "It wasn't Masuta. It was-"

"What are you talking about?!" Onoji shouted, taking me by surprise. "This is nonsense! Masuta was the one who burned Yoko's body! He was the only one in the incinerator room at the time of the murder!"

_I know what you're thinking, Onoji._ _I'm sorry..._

"Onoji, if you let me explain-"

"NO!" he yelled. "I WON'T LET YOU EXPLAIN! Y-YOU... YOU... YOU CAN'T!"

Suddenly, he began crying.

"Onoji," Aiko said.

"A-Aiko...?"

"Let Daichi talk."

"B-But-!"

She frowned. "Let Daichi talk."

I averted my eyes. _I can't believe this is happening...! Argh! Why do I have to be the one to do this?!_

"Please, Daichi," Aiko said, smiling at me.

The truth had become clear. It was time...

"Masuta," I said.

"Hm?" Masuta replied. "Are you calling me, Daichi? Whatever could you possibly need, I wonder..."

_I don't have the patience for this,_ I thought, annoyed.

"Ever since I saw you this morning," I said, "I thought there was something off about your appearance."

"My appearance?" he asked. "But I look the same as ever!"

"No, you don't," I said, pointing my finger towards his right hand. "You're wearing those gloves."

Masuta raised his hands, so that everyone could see what I was talking about.

"Oh, the gloves," he said. "What about them? I just wanted to look a little more stylish, you know. Don't you think gloves suit me well?"

"W-Well..." Chihiro mumbled. "They honestly do..."

"Don't praise him!" Jasmine exclaimed. "Are you crazy or what?! His sense of style is all over the place! Who the fuck wears a monocle alongside a purple jacket?!"

After hearing Jasmine ramble for a few minutes about how Masuta's clothing choices made no sense, we continued our discussion.

"As I was saying," I said, "Masuta's appearance is different. However, the problem isn't those gloves. It's what they're hiding."

"You mean... his hands?" Niko asked.

"Um... Yes? I-I mean, no!" I replied. 

Niko raised an eyebrow. "Wh-What...?"

I sighed. "It's the bandages. Masuta was wearing bandages this morning."

"Oh, I-I remember that," Denki said. "I-I... I was thinking... Recall how he took a long time to arrive at the temple before the trial? He probably took so long to get something... s-something..."

"Something to hide the bandages!" Jasmine said.

"Y-Yes..." Denki replied. "Th-The bandages must mean something!"

"Of course they do," Katashi said. "What did you expect? Everything happens for a reason."

_Katashi is right..._ I thought. _Everything happens for a reason. Now, I have to find the reason as to why Masuta is wearing those bandages in the first place._

Kaya pressed her fingers against her forehead, as if in deep thought. "I, the great Kaya Suzuya, think that Masuta is wearing those bandages because... he's injured!"

"Oh my gosh!" Masuta exclaimed. "How did you know?! Do you have some kind of omniscient power?!"

"Wahahaha!" she laughed. "The great Kaya Suzuya does indeed have some kind of omniscient power. And that is... looking straight at the facts!"

"Um..." Chihiro mumbled. "I think we should try to find a more specific reason for the bandages. For instance... What kind of injury is it? What happened to Masuta's hands?"

"His hands were burned," I said.

Masuta giggled. "Oh, my... Doesn't that sound painful..."

"You tell us," Amaya replied.

"What?" he said. "Do you seriously think Daichi is right? I'm not stupid enough to burn my hands on purpose, you know? No one is."

"Kaya is," Itaki said. "For science."

Kaya gasped. "WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT THE GREAT- You know what, I actually did that once for a school assignment. I got a ten! Wahahahaha!"

"Anyway," Itaki interrupted, "Daichi, mind explaining us your theory?"

"Be sure to present some hard evidence," Katashi said. "No one is going to believe you otherwise."

_All right..._

"Aiko, was Masuta wearing bandages last night?" I asked.

"No, he was not," she replied, assertive.

"Then, we can be sure that Masuta burned his hands last night," I said. "While Yoko's body was being burned..."

"Why would that happen, though?" Jasmine asked.

"I must say..." Saeka said. "That seems unlikely."

_How do I explain this in a way everybody can understand..._

"Um... Let's try to imagine the situation," I said. "First, Masuta puts the trash bag inside the incinerator. At this point, his hands are inside the incinerator, too. Before he's able to back away, the machine activates, burning them in the process. That also explains the piece of black plastic we found _—_ Masuta accidentally ripped it off the trash bag in that moment of pain."

A noticeable confusion spread among everyone's faces.

"Th-That doesn't prove anything," Onoji said. "I-It only shows how Masuta injured himself. From what you're saying, it was nothing more than... a-an accident."

"The thing is..." I said. "It _was_ an accident. But Masuta wasn't the one responsible for it."

"That's just nonsense-!" Onoji shouted.

"Masuta couldn't have activated the incinerator!"

_Yes..._ I thought. _I can feel it... We're really close to the truth now..._

"What the fuck?" Jasmine said. "Are you nuts?"

"P-Perhaps I am," I replied. "But for now, just listen to me, okay?"

_I have to show them..._ I thought. _I have to show them why Masuta couldn't have been the one to activate the incinerator._

"Take a look at this photo of the crime scene," I said.

"When Masuta put the trash bag in the incinerator," I said, "he would be... here."

"Can you see what I'm getting at?" I asked.

"I... I think I got it..." Chihiro said.

Amaya nodded. "It's the button."

"The... button?" Niko asked, confused. "What's the deal with it?"

"Masuta is too far away from the button," Saeka said. "If Daichi's theory is to be believed, he was not the one to push it. If he had done it, he would not have burned his hands."

"Exactly," I said. "Knowing that..."

Aiko lowered her head. "...We can find... the true culprit..."

_*Bam!*_

Suddenly, I heard a loud sound coming from my right. Onoji had slammed his fist hard against his podium.

"H-How can you all believe that?!" he exclaimed. "Masuta was... He was the only one in the incinerator room! There was no one else there! No one! Not a single person!"

He began to pant. I'd never seen him speak so loudly before.

"Onoji, I'm not sure if you already know this," I said, "but you can activate the incinerator from another place."

"A-Another place?!" he replied. "N-No- Th-That's-!"

"And that place... is the laundry room."

As soon as I said that, everyone's eyes turned towards our new suspect. The person who was in the laundry room when the incinerator was activated.

"A-Aiko..." Onoji mumbled.

"I-I'm not following," Denki said. "Wh-What does the laundry room have to do with all of this?"

"One of the washing machine buttons," I said, "actually activates the incinerator."

_Two days ago, when I helped Aiko carry some clothes to the laundry room, Masuta said..._

* * *

_"See?!" Masuta exclaimed. "You activated the incinerator!"_

_"But... How?" I asked._

_"Well..." he said. "Pressing the big red button on one of the washing machines will activate the incinerator."_

_"And why is that?" Aiko asked. "Why'd you put a button like that on a washing machine? It doesn't make any sense."_

_"I dunno," he replied. "I just felt like it. Confusing stuff like this makes the game much more fun!"_

* * *

I turned my head towards Aiko. "Aiko said she went to the laundry room in order to wash Jasmine's clothes. Of course, she didn't have time to give them back to her, so they were still inside the washing machine. However, there was something weird about them."

"Something... weird?" Chihiro asked.

"They were... smelly."

Jasmine pointed her finger towards me. "Stop it right there! What are you trying to say?! I-I don't smell, I promise! I don't know what happened to those clothes!"

_Those clothes say otherwise,_ I thought.

"Er... That's not the point," I said. "What I'm trying to say is that those clothes were not washed."

Onoji shook his head. "No! Th-That's... THAT'S A LIE!"

"Wh-Why would they not be washed, though?" Denki asked.

_This... This is it..._

"I believe Aiko accidentally pushed the wrong button," I said. "Instead of activating the washing machine, she activated the incinerator."

"That... also explains why Masuta waited for so long to come out of his hiding spot," Amaya said. "He probably knew about Aiko promising Jasmine to wash her clothes. He knew there was a chance she'd push the wrong button."

"H-HOLD ON!" Onoji shouted. "M-Masuta couldn't have predicted that! What if Jasmine hadn't asked Aiko?! None of Masuta's plans would've-"

"It is possible Masuta was the one to cause the odour coming from Jasmine's clothes," Saeka interrupted.

"H-How...?" he asked.

Saeka looked towards Jasmine. "Just now, you said that you 'did not know what happened to those clothes'. Could you elaborate on that, Jasmine?"

"A-As I was saying," Jasmine replied, "I'm not smelly. I always make sure my body is-"

"Please, get to the important part," Saeka said coldly.

Jasmine seemed to ignore her. "I always make sure my body is as clean as it can possibly be! That said, imagine my surprise when I found out my clothes smelled horribly! I had noticed that smell earlier, but never imagined it was coming from my own dear clothes. Suffice to say, I took a long shower after that. I assumed the cause of that smell was due to something going wrong when Aiko washed them, so I asked her to do it again."

"Is that correct, Aiko?" Amaya asked.

Aiko nodded. "Yes, though I didn't have all of these details... She just yelled at me, and gave me all of those clothes."

"What if some of that smell had got to my other clothes?" Jasmine said. "I simply couldn't risk it."

Onoji frowned. "H-How does that prove Masuta has anything to do with this?!"

"It is simple," Saeka said. "Masuta probably spilled something on Jasmine's clothes yesterday, and that is what caused the smell to appear. Earlier in the trial, she testified that she had met Masuta yesterday."

* * *

_"Did anyone else see Masuta yesterday?" Saeka asked._

_"I did," Jasmine replied. "At around 7 pm, he appeared out of nowhere, told me some unfunny jokes, I yelled at him, and he ran away."_

* * *

Jasmine turned her head towards Masuta, angry. "Hey, you! Did you do anything weird to my clothes when we met yesterday?"

Masuta took a small pipette out of his pocket. "You're talking about this...?"

She gasped. "Wh-What the fuck did you spill on my clothes?!"

He giggled. "Upupupupu... Do you _really_ want to know?"

"I-I guess I don't..." she replied. 

_I suppose it's better this way..._ I thought. _I definitely wouldn't want to know it if I were her._

Jasmine frowned. "But that doesn't mean I'll not kill you after this!"

"Please, do not attempt to murder him until the end of the trial," Saeka said. "We have more important things to do."

I nodded. "Yes... Though I don't it'll take that long..."

Amaya lowered her head. "They're right... I believe we have finally figured out which one of us is the true culprit of this case."

Niko gasped. "W-Wait... You don't mean...!"

_I'm sorry, Aiko..._ I thought. _I tried to remain strong... I tried to not avert my eyes from the truth... Did I succeed? Is this... the truth you were talking about?_

"H-Hold on!" Onoji shouted. "How can we know that burning was really the cause of death?! Maybe she died because of the stabbing! Hayato might still be the killer! Y-Yes, that's right... Hayato is still the killer!"

"I have already calculated the amount of blood lost from the clues we've gathered," Amaya said. "Unfortunately, it looks like Yoko would still have lived for one hour after the stabbing..."

"LIES!" he shouted. "There's no-"

Suddenly, he stopped. Aiko was looking straight at him.

"Onoji," she said calmly, "please refrain yourself from-"

"Tell them!" he interrupted, bursting into tears. "Tell them why you can't be the culprit! TELL THEM!"

She looked away, lost in her thoughts. "Onoji... Please, can you just-"

"NO!" he shouted. "I won't! I never will! I won't just let them... I won't let them vote for you!"

Onoji's whole face was really wet _—_ a mixture of sweat and tears. His frail-looking body began to tremble, and he was breathing heavily.

I hated it. It hated it all. I hated seeing them like that.

However, the one thing I hated the most... was the fact that I had to do it. I couldn't let everyone else die.

Was I wrong? Was Aiko's life worth the lives of thirteen other people?

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Whatever I had to say was forever stuck inside my head.

_Aiko... I... I... I really am sorry..._

"Um... What happens now?" Chihiro asked.

"We vote," Katashi said.

"H-Hold on!" Onoji exclaimed. "B-But we haven't-"

Katashi looked at him. "Mamoru's the killer. It's over."

Aiko simply lowered her head.

"I... I can't believe it..." Denki said.

"It is true, sadly," Amaya said, covering her face with her beret.

"I should probably begin calculating how much the shop is going to lose..." Itaki said.

"How the fuck..." Jasmine muttered. "How the fuck does Hayato get to live when Aiko doesn't?! That is _not_ fair!"

"Well, sometimes life is simply unfair..." Chihiro mumbled.

Jasmine sighed. "I know that. I know that very well... But still... Argh! Fuck this shit! You know what, Hayato, fuck you too!"

Hayato didn't say anything in response.

"And thus," Saeka said, "we have finally reached the end."

"The great Kaya Suzuya doesn't like this ending, though..." Kaya said. "M-Ms. Mamoru... Aiko doesn't deserve this..."

"None of us like it..." Chihiro said.

Onoji looked like he was struggling to stand, just barely maintaining his composure.

"Everyone..." Aiko said. "I think the time has arrived... We should move onto voting time now..."

"A-A-Aiko!" he stuttered. "D-Don't... DON'T SAY THAT!"

She looked away. "Onoji... I'm sorry... I won't be able to be with you from now on... I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you anymore... So, stay strong."

Making her signature pose, she gave him a thumbs up.

Her smile started to dwindle, and tears began to roll down her face. Her voice was quiet and full of sorrow. "Onoji! Remember... Stay strong! If you do that, then... then... everything will be aaaaaaall right!"

As tears kept coming from Aiko's eyes, all I could do was stare down at my feet. I couldn't say anything. I suppose everyone else felt the same, as they also remained silent. It was as if that single moment had been forever frozen in time.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Katashi Akeru is the killer."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"...Wait, what?" I said. "What did you just say?"

"Katashi Akeru is the killer."

Touka, the owner of that voice, had really said those words. My mind came to a halt.

"What...?" Aiko asked, confused.

Onoji had raised his head, perhaps because of a renewed hope.

I had totally forgotten about Touka. She was just so good at blending in with her surroundings... It was almost as if she wasn't there most of the time. However, she _was_ there. And she had said something.

"Excuse me...?" Katashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't vote for Aiko Mamoru. The true culprit of this case... is Katashi Akeru."


	23. C-1: Ashes of Hope - Deadly Life - Part IV

"Katashi Akeru is the killer."

Touka kept on repeating those same words. She, who had been in the shadows for most of the trial, had become the focus of everyone's attention.

"Katashi Akeru is the killer."

"Um... I think we've all understood what you're trying to say," Chihiro replied. "But... How can I say this..."

"That... kinda came out of nowhere," Amaya said. "Mind telling us why you think that, Touka?"

Touka glanced at Amaya for a brief second, but didn't say anything in response. Instead, she changed her attention over to me.

Just as I'd come to expect, Touka's face didn't show any emotion. Her expression was indifferent, almost robotic.

Her eyes seemed fixed on me. However, her mouth was completely shut.

 _Are you trying to say something to me?_ I wondered. _Katashi? The killer? How? He has a very solid alibi._

"Wanna say something in response, Katashi?" Jasmine said. "You're being accused, you know?"

"You believe her?" Katashi replied. "Hmpf... Well, I guess I should have expected as much..."

"T-Touka must have something in mind..." Denki replied. "I-I mean, don't you think-"

"No, she doesn't," he interrupted. "This is absurd. Why are we prolonging the trial further? We have already found the killer, haven't we?"

Aiko seemed extremely confused. She turned her head from one side to another, apparently unsure where to look at.

 _It must be really uncomfortable for her,_ I thought. _This situation..._

"We should not dismiss Touka's remark so easily," Saeka said. "Something must have led her to this conclusion."

"Touka seems like a really smart person, not gonna lie," Jasmine replied. "Still, as much as I hate to say it... Katashi? No way. Wasn't he in the library with Kaya and Saeka?"

Kaya laughed. "Wahahaha! Indeed, he was! I made sure to not let this big bad bully do anything stupid... And that includes murdering Ms. Nakou!"

"He couldn't have been at two places at once..." Chihiro said. "And I don't think he could have possibly committed the murder all the way down from the library."

"That's what I was trying to say," Katashi said. "There are only three people here who have a solid alibi. And those are Suzuya, Takamoto and _me_."

Amaya sighed. "I must admit, you have a point... However, I still want to believe Touka."

Niko raised her hand. "Uh... Couldn't we just... You know... Ask Touka for an explanation?"

Touka didn't even look at her. Instead, she went back to typing on her tablet.

"I don't think that's going to work," Itaki said. "Touka is a person of few words."

"Thanks for sharing with us stuff we already know," Jasmine muttered.

"I-If... If Touka isn't going to answer," Denki said, "then... Wh-What do we do?"

"Vote," Katashi said. "Vote for Mamoru. I seriously can't believe you're even considering the possibility I'm the culprit. Now, why don't we just put an end to all of this?"

If someone had told me Yoko had been murdered two days before that trial, my first assumption would've been that Katashi had done it. He was by far the most suspicious person among us.

_Well, now, Hayato might surpass him, but..._

Either way, that idea never once crossed my mind during the investigation nor the trial. He had a solid alibi, yes. But that wasn't the reason. From our conversations, I felt like I had got to know Katashi better... and I didn't think he was that bad of a person anymore.

_...Who is the culprit? Is it Aiko? Or is it Katashi? Should we trust Touka?_

"Hurry up," Katashi said, looking at Masuta. "Let's start the voting."

Niko pointed her finger at Katashi. "Wh-Why do you want us to vote right now so badly?! It almost seems like... you don't want us to think you're the killer!"

He sighed. "...Who the hell would want to be suspected? Of course I don't want to be picked as the killer. That would mean certain death."

"Th-That..." Niko replied. "That doesn't explain why you want to vote without letting us discuss every possibility...!"

"I know I'm innocent," he said. "Thus, I'm certain that Mamoru is the killer. I have no doubts in my mind. And I don't want you dumbasses making the wrong decision."

 _Katashi is right,_ I thought. _There isn't any evidence pointing towards him... However, I have a feeling Touka is telling the truth. There must be something more to this case. Something no one has noticed yet._

"I-I..." Onoji stuttered. "I... I think we should give Touka's theory... at least a chance..."

"You do realise you're only grasping at straws, right?" Katashi replied. "You know very well who the killer is."

Onoji raised his head, looking straight into Katashi's eyes. "I... I-I... Please... I beg of you..."

Katashi sighed. "Look, I'm not going-"

"Please...! I'm not even saying I believe you're the culprit!" Onoji said. "I just... If there's a chance that Aiko's innocent, then...!"

Katashi looked away, turning his back to him. After a few moments of contemplation, he let out a sigh.

"Ah... Do whatever you want," he muttered.

"Th-Thank you..." Onoji replied, relieved.

"It's not over yet, huh..." Jasmine muttered.

"Seems like it," Amaya said. "We don't really have anything left to discuss, though."

"What could we possibly have missed?" Chihiro asked.

"W-We've really talked about everything..." Denki mumbled.

Kaya sighed. "Even I, the great Kaya Suzuya, don't have anything in mind."

_What is there left to talk about...?_

However, no matter how hard I thought about it, nothing came to my mind.

"Are we... doing the right thing?" I asked.

"What are you saying, Daichi?" Amaya said.

"Maybe... we really are grasping at straws," I said. "Maybe... Maybe there really is nothing more to this case..."

"N-NO!" Onoji shouted. "Th-There m-must... There must be something more!"

"I am afraid Daichi is correct," Itaki said. "I really don't see where else we can go with this."

"N-No... I... But..."

Aiko sighed. "Onoji... I'm sorry it had to be this way... I never-"

"Katashi Akeru is the killer," Touka said.

 _This again?!_ I thought.

"For fuck's sake!" Jasmine yelled. "Just tell us what you mean already! You know your life is at stake as well, right?!"

Touka didn't pay Jasmine any attention. Oddly enough, she was looking at... me.

"Touka," I said. "Can you... Can you please tell us what you have in mind?"

"..."

"Come on..." I insisted. "I will help you. If you just-"

"There's no use Daichi," Amaya interrupted. "During the whole time we spent investigating together, I didn't get to hear a single word from-"

"...Don't think about what happened," Touka said. "Think about what the culprit _thought_ would have happened _._ "

Amaya gasped. "...Wh-What...?"

Touka had said something. It didn't make things any less confusing, though.

 _What the culprit thought would have happened...?_ I wondered.

"Touka, um..." Aiko said. "Could you be... a little less vague? Please?"

"I think that's the most we're getting out of her," Itaki said.

Touka didn't reply.

"Let's think about it, then," Amaya said. "What did the killer think would have happened?"

Denki raised his hand. "H-How exactly can we figure that out?"

"No one here is a medium as far as I'm concerned," Kaya replied.

Saeka sighed. "Mediums are only able to communicate with the _dead_. Thus, unless Yoko somehow killed herself, I am afraid that, even in the presence of a medium, we would not be able to figure out what the killer thought."

"Yes, I agree with you, best friend Saeka," she replied. "Mediums, psychics, engineers... It doesn't matter, they are all fakers."

 _Sure..._ I thought. _Wait... She said engi- No, that doesn't matter right now._

"I suppose we should discuss the killer's actual plans for the murder," I said. "This case seems too complex to be an accident."

"Unless, of course, Aiko is the killer," Itaki replied.

"P-Please, don't bring that up..." Onoji mumbled.

 _The killer's plans..._ I thought. _Let's see..._

"Let's put it another way," I said. "What if we think about the specific requirements for this murder to have occurred?"

"Requirements?" Kaya replied. "Ha! The first one would be a cold-blooded killer!"

"N-Not exactly..." I replied. "Um... How should I put it... What I'm saying is..."

"What the culprit needed for their plans to go smoothly," Amaya said.

"Um... Yeah, that," I said.

"I suppose that makes sense..." Saeka said. "In that case, the 'requirements' would be... One, a trash bag being available. Two, Yoko's door being unlocked. Three, no one aside from the victim being in Yoko's room when Masuta went there. Four, no one being in the incinerator room at the time Masuta arrived there. I believe those are all of them."

 _One of those requirements..._ I thought. _Maybe one of them holds the key to unlock the truth. But... Which one? Is it number one? Two? Three? Or perhaps four? Maybe one Saeka didn't mention? I have... I have to figure it out... Quick... Quick..._

"Which one do you think Touka was referring to, best friend Saeka?" Kaya asked.

"No clue," Saeka replied.

Amaya sighed. "Yeah, I don't have an answer either..."

We kept trying. Trying to seek a way out of this mess. However, we didn't manage to find a single thing that might have helped us. Not a single clue.

"I-It's all over..." Niko mumbled. "Our only option is to vote..."

Onoji raised his hand to say something, but he lowered it right after. Silently, he hung his head again.

_Think, Daichi... You have to...!_

"Hmpf, it's about time already," Katashi muttered. "Let's vote for Mamoru. This is... the end."

_What if I'm not able to figure it out?_

_Well... There are two possible outcomes._

_One, Aiko is the killer. That means only she will get executed._

_Two, Aiko is not the killer. That means everyone besides the true culprit, whom Touka believes to be Katashi, will be executed._

It all came down to those two options. Which one was it?

_Think... Think harder..._

_Think... T_ _hink..._ _Think..._ _Think..._ _Think..._

_...ARRRRRRRRRGH!!!_

I couldn't do it. I simply couldn't. Yes, I tried. I tried, but I couldn't do it.

 _Haha, what was I thinking..._ _Me? Able to solve this case in typical video-game fashion? Ha! Of course not! Did I forget it already? The conclusion I arrived at during my first day here..._

_I am not the main character of this story. There is nothing I could do to change that._

_If there is someone able to read my thoughts out there... Then I hope you didn't expect anything from me. Otherwise... You will be left disappointed._

_..._

It was better that way. I didn't have to worry about anything anymore. My life... I would truly leave it in the hands of fate. Those two options... I didn't want to choose either. Fate would decide it for me.

_Whatever comes my way..._

_Well, I suppose there really is nothing left, then. This is the-_

_...!_

Suddenly, something interrupted my thoughts. A glimpse. Someone looked at me.

_...Touka?_

Once again, she was staring at me.

_Why are you interrupting my thoughts again?! You're able to read my mind, right?! Then you should know I've already given up. If you want to do something about the direction of this trial, then do you yourself, dammit!_

"Daichi Abe," she said.

"Huh?" Amaya said. "Touka, did you say something?"

"Calm down," she continued. "You are _not_ crazy. You are not useless. And you are capable. You are capable of... doing something about it. Believe in yourself."

She was speaking to me. Of course she was, there were no other people called Daichi in that courtroom. Had she really read my mind? If so, then it was extremely rude of her. Peeking into other people's private space is really inappropriate. Did she not have any manners?

_Nevertheless, what she said just now..._

I stopped. One thing at a time. I let air enter my nose, and then let it back out. I did this a couple of times until I finally calmed down. Well, the most one could calm down in that sort of situation _—_ which, to be honest, wasn't that much, though that really didn't matter. What _did_ matter at that particular moment was...

_I... can do it...! I CAN DO IT!_

"I... I GOT IT!"

Had I really exclaimed those words? After all we'd been through, they sounded... unreal. But they were true. I had, well, "got it".

"Okay, Daichi has officially lost it," Jasmine said.

"I wouldn't judge him too harshly for that," Amaya replied. "I might lose it as well if we aren't able to find anything."

"H-Hey, listen to me!" I said. "I... I think I understood what Touka meant. Um... Back there, I think I was just... Lost in my own thoughts... I think... Er, either way... I think I know what the killer thought. Yes, that was what I thought."

"That's... um... a lot of thoughts," Chihiro replied.

"Um... Yes?" I said awkwardly. "Still, you might as well hear me out."

Katashi grinned. "Pretentious as always, aren't you, Abe? What could you possibly have to add? You should know Mamoru is the killer by now."

 _Katashi... I don't know if you're really the killer or not,_ I thought. _But I might have found the key to solving this case._

"Requirement number two, according to Saeka's list," I said. "Yoko's room being unlocked. The killer couldn't have predicted that. Remember? The only ones who knew about the door being unlocked were Yoko and myself. No one else."

"Oh shit!" Amaya exclaimed, excited. "Dang it, stupid me! How did I not see this earlier?!"

 _Yes, that's right..._ I thought. _Masuta was able to enter Yoko's room because she had fallen asleep instantly after she'd taken the pills, and I had left without locking the door. But... What if one of us had remembered to lock it? That would completely ruin the culprit's plan._

_That's why... There must have been another way. Another way for Masuta to enter Yoko's room._

"So the killer didn't know about the door being unlocked," Itaki said. "Interesting..."

"Interesting, indeed," Saeka said. "That implicates something about the killer's plans..."

"And what would it be?" Katashi replied. "Besides, this isn't enough to prove Mamoru's innocence. She was the one to activate the incinerator, and therefore, the one to burn the body."

_That, Katashi, could only mean one thing._

"The door _had_ to be unlocked," I said. "And the culprit knew that. They must have had something in mind... Another way to make sure the door would be unlocked when Masuta eventually went there."

"Another way?" Jasmine replied. "Did they use a crowbar or something?"

"There were no marks on Yoko's door that would indicate that," Itaki replied.

"M-Maybe the culprit got their hands on Yoko's e-Handbook," Denki said. "Th-They would be able to unlock the door that way, right?"

"But if that were the case, then how did Yoko lose her e-Handbook?" Chihiro said. "It seems unlikely that she did..."

 _They are all right,_ I thought. _There is only one way the culprit could have made sure the door was unlocked. One way._

I finally understood the events that led up to Yoko's murder. Well, most of them, at least. The identity of the culprit was still unclear to me.

"The solution to this problem is actually quite simple," I said. "The door to Yoko's room would still have been left unlocked even if she had been able to lock it after I left."

"What?" Katashi replied. "You aren't making any sense, Abe."

"Then, listen to me more closely, will you?" I replied.

He averted his eyes. "Tch..."

 _One step at a time..._ I thought. _One more step closer to the truth._

"Then say it, Abe," he groaned. "Though remember, you _will_ embarrass yourself if you continue. You see, you-"

"Yoko was already dead."

For a few moments, there was complete silence in that courtroom.

"...What?" Jasmine said.

"Before Masuta entered her room, she had already died," I said.

"...What?" Jasmine said.

I sighed. "Let me say it again. Before Masuta even entered the room, Yoko had already died; hence why the door was unlocked."

"Y-Yes..." Chihiro said. "I asked Masuta during the investigation, and he told me that... once someone dies, the door to their room is immediately unlocked."

Jasmine sighed. "I get that part, but..."

"Yoko already being dead..." Amaya said. "Don't get me wrong, Daichi. I trust you, but that's... a bit hard to swallow."

"See?" Katashi said. "I told you. You've just embarrassed yourself again, Abe."

"I know I'm right," I replied. "And I assume you know it, as well."

He flinched. It looked like my assumptions were true. Well, they were Touka's assumptions, but still...

Saeka looked at me. "Daichi, I suppose you would now like to share evidence to back up your theory."

"Yeah! Do as best friend Saeka says!" Kaya exclaimed. "Show us your evidence! Wahahaha!"

 _Evidence..._ I thought. _Yes, I think I know how to back up my claims._

"You all remember when we were discussing the identity of the second person?" I said.

"Oh, yeah..." Aiko said. "It seems like that was such a long time ago, though..."

"We know the second person is... erm... Hayato, right?" Onoji said.

"Yes, Hayato did see Yoko's body," I said. "But, if Aiko were the killer, then we would be missing one person... She didn't _see_ Yoko's body that night."

"Hold on," Amaya said. "Let me count... We've already found out who the three people who saw the body were, I'm sure... Let's see... We've got Daichi, Hayato and... and... um..."

"...And?"

"Just give me a sec," she replied. "Um... Daichi, Hayato and... and... Fuck, you're right."

"That's my point," I said. "Someone else saw the body, maybe even before Hayato did."

"Wh-Who is it, then?" Denki asked. "If it isn't the killer, then it must be... one of us."

Onoji sighed. "I honestly have no clue who it could be..."

"What do you have in mind, Abe?" Katashi asked. "I suppose you have an idea who this person is. Otherwise, all of your 'claims' have been utterly meaningless."

"Of course, I do," I replied. "The person I'm thinking of is... Onoji."

The boy in question stumbled backwards, almost falling to the floor.

"Wh-What?!" he said. "I don't remember seeing any dead bodies!"

"I'm sorry to say it, Daichi," Aiko said, "but I don't see how Onoji could have seen Yoko's body without knowing it."

"Onoji saw Yoko 'sleeping' at 7 pm yesterday, right?" I said. "However, if we consider that Yoko was already dead then... Well, add two and two together, and you'll get your answer."

"I-It can't be..." Onoji stuttered. "Th-That... That was..."

I nodded. "Yes, Onoji. That was Yoko's dead body you saw. She wasn't sleeping. She was... dead."

The trial was finally about to reach its conclusion.

"Abe..." Katashi muttered. It looked as if he wanted to say something, but I assume he stopped himself before he did so.

"There's one more thing left, then," Amaya said. "We have to figure out... Yoko's true cause of death."

"Y-Yeah..." Denki said. "I-It seems like stabbing and burning both aren't the answer..."

Kaya laughed. "Wahahaha! Behold! My theory is ready! The culprit... They used their telepathic powers to murder Ms. Nakou!"

Aiko raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you a person of science?"

She frowned. "What are you implying? Telepathy is a science as well!"

"Okay... Still, I don't think the killer used it to kill Yoko," Aiko replied.

"There's no logic in trying to understand this nonsensical theory," Katashi said. "How could the culprit have killed Nakou without actually seeing her dead body? Abe, you said it yourself, back when you refuted Tatsuya's argument."

_Back when I refuted Niko's argument... Back then, I said..._

* * *

_"And most importantly... How would I be able to kill Yoko without actually seeing her? The answer is... it didn't happen. It's impossible."_

* * *

_I said that, didn't I? I never thought I'd have to refute my own statement like this..._

"Can we please move onto voting time now?" Katashi said.

"Nope!" Niko shouted. "You're still a suspect!"

Katashi sighed. "I don't really care. Kill yourselves if you want."

"Such an awful thing to say..." Aiko mumbled.

"Who are you to say that, miss culprit," he replied. "We both know you did it."

From an outside perspective, Katashi seemed confident. However, there was no guarantee that he was the same on the inside.

 _I'm sure he's on the verge of breaking down,_ I thought. _Just a few more steps..._

"C'mon, we should be able to think of something, guys..." Amaya said.

"D-Daichi, do you have any guesses?" Denki asked.

"Me...?" I replied.

"...Well, you _are_ contributing a lot to the trial," Chihiro said. "Judging from your performance, I believe you are more than capable of figuring out how Yoko was killed."

_Do they... really have faith in me? Why me? Why not someone as smart as Amaya? Or someone as caring as Aiko? Or even someone as determined as Onoji? Why me?_

"I... I have something in mind, but..." I said. "It's pretty unlikely."

"There's no hurt in telling us, is there?" Itaki replied.

Katashi frowned. "He would embarrass himself even more. Isn't that so-"

"You see, I think..." I said. "I think Yoko was _poisoned_."

_Yes, that's right... Yoko was poisoned. That's the only option I can think of._

Niko gasped. "Wh-What?!"

"Hold on..." Amaya said. "Daichi, you're referring to the poison from the infirmary, right?"

"I-I knew that poison was dangerous..." Denki mumbled.

"The name's _Aldo Compo_ ," Kaya said. "And it is not simply dangerous! It is _extremely_ dangerous! Wahahaha!"

"Yoko was... poisoned?" Jasmine said. "Fucking hell, she was poisoned, then put inside a trash bag, then stabbed, then burned to ashes... Damn. She _really_ wasn't lucky, was she?"

"Well, at least," Chihiro said, "poisoning sounds better than being burned alive, to be honest..."

"Wait," Aiko said, "in that case, why would the killer decide to make it so Yoko's body was burned?"

"Yes, that is a good question," Itaki said. "There was no apparent reason to burn the body."

I opened my mouth. "Actually-"

"Of course not!" Kaya interrupted. "If her body hadn't been burnt, then It'd have been really easy to know she was poisoned! I, the great Kaya Suzuya, would have figured it out on the spot!"

"According to the label on the bottle," I said, "the poison has some side-effects, such as blue-ish skin and bloodshot eyes."

"Yeah, we'd have noticed something was off," Amaya said.

Jasmine raised her hand. "Hey! Hold on a sec! Wouldn't that mean Onoji would've noticed she had been poisoned when he was in perv-mode?"

"P-Perv-mode?!" Onoji stuttered.

I shook my head. "No, he wouldn't have seen it. He mentioned in his testimony how she was facing the wall, and so he couldn't see her eyes. And since she was always wearing a long-sleeve shirt, he wouldn't be able to see her skin."

The mood in the trial room seemed to be a bit more upbeat. Our doubts started to go away.

"...Can we be sure of this?" Onoji asked, with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Hell no," Katashi replied. "What Abe said is just a theory. It isn't necessarily true. Besides, it doesn't make any sense."

"It... doesn't?" I replied, confused.

_How come it doesn't make sense?!_

He gave me a serious look. "Abe, are you perhaps making fun of me? I don't know if this is all because of our conversation yesterday, but you are not treating me the same way. What? Do you seriously think we can be friends?"

"...What's this all of a sudden?" I asked.

"This world is cruel, Abe," he said. "I believe I have already stated this, but I don't have time for useless concepts like hope or luck. Before yesterday, you used to treat me with at least some respect, Abe."

_...Respect? Am I doing something wrong here?_

"That said," he continued, "I suppose I should also tell you _why_ your theory is wrong. You forgot an important detail about the poison—it kills the victim after only a few minutes after consumption. With that in mind, I don't see how any of us could have done it... with one exception."

"Wh-What exception...?" Niko asked.

Katashi grinned. "Abe, of course."

_...What?!_

"Wh-What are you trying to say?!" I asked.

"Well, maybe Suzuya, too," he said. "The two of you were the only ones who had the chance to poison Nakou."

"M-M-Me?!" Kaya shouted. "The great Kaya Suzuya?! IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Both of you could have poisoned Nakou's medicine," he said.

At that moment, I began to feel sweat dripping from my face. I didn't know if it was real or just a work of my imagination, but it felt like the others were looking at me with eyes full of doubt.

"W-W-Wait!" Kaya exclaimed. "Th-The great Kaya Suzuya is no murderer!"

"Are you sure?" Katashi replied.

"W-Well... Um..." she stuttered. "Y-Yeah! I'm one-hundred percent sure! I didn't do it! Waaaaaaaah! Y-You're bullying me!"

Tears began to roll down her face.

I sighed. "Look, Kaya, I know we can prove our innocence if we-"

"Wahahahaha!" she laughed. "I understand it now!"

"Understand... what, exactly?" Onoji asked.

She pointed her finger towards me. "M-Mr. Abe's the killer! I didn't do it, so it could've only been him!"

 _I can't believe this..._ I thought, disappointed.

"The thing is," I said, "Yoko was the one who took the pills. If they were truly poisoned, wouldn't that be considered suicide?"

"Um, no," Jasmine replied. "How the fuck is that suicide? You poisoned her medicine without her knowing about it. That's clearly murder."

Masuta sighed. "Oh fine, here we go again... I suppose I might as well tell you. Daichi is right. The way I see it, that would be considered a suicide, despite the obvious murderous intent from whoever poisoned the pill."

"Weird rule," Amaya said.

"Hey, don't go insulting my rules!" he shouted. "Rude!"

Katashi looked away. "Still, how do we know you didn't shove those pills down Nakou's throat?"

"How come?"

"We only have your word for it," he said. "You may as well be lying."

 _Well, I can't say he's wrong,_ I thought. _How do I prove my innocence now...?!_

"W-Wait..." Niko mumbled. "So... Daichi did it?!"

Chihiro gasped. "No way..."

"H-Hold on, guys!" I shouted. "There's nothing that proves I'm the killer!"

"Well, I must admit..." Jasmine said. "You were the one to say Yoko was poisoned. And I agree with that. But..."

"Ka-Katashi sounds right on that one," Denki said. "Aside from you, I can't think of anyone who could have done it."

"No!" I shouted. "Are you guys being serious?! I insisted on Hayato and Aiko's innocence! Why the hell would I have done that if I were the killer?!"

To my dismay, no one replied. For a moment, I felt as if I were invisible. Was I that suspicious in their eyes? After all I'd done?

For a brief second, I even glanced at Hayato. He stared at his feet, seemingly not paying any attention to the trial.

 _He really is a lost cause,_ I thought. _But what about me? How can I get out of this mess?_

I turned to Touka. Her eyes met mine. I meant to say something to her, but my attempt was interrupted by Katashi's voice.

"It looks like you've dug your own grave, Abe," he said, grinning. "There's no one who can testify for you."

"False," Touka replied.

 _Why do you only speak when I'm in the middle of having a heart attack...?!_ _This trial would have been a lot easier if you talked the whole way through!_

"...What?" Katashi replied, confused. "You again? Are you going to accuse me or something?"

"I overheard Daichi Abe's conversation with Yoko Nakou," she said. "And thus, I know for a fact what he is saying is the truth."

"You... did what?!" I exclaimed.

_Do I literally have no privacy in this place?!_

"Um..." Chihiro mumbled. "Why would you do that?"

"Why would you overhear Daichi's conversation?" Aiko asked. "Isn't that, you know, a little bit... Um... How do I put it..."

"Weird," Itaki said.

"N-No! I-I mean, kinda, but... Er... Geez, why did you have to put it that way?!"

Touka cast a glance at Aiko and Itaki, though she didn't seem disturbed by their words.

"...Information," Touka said.

"Huh...?" Aiko mumbled.

"I wanted to gather information," she clarified. "I noticed the door to Yoko Nakou's room wasn't locked, so I decided to eavesdrop."

By that point, I suppose everyone knew there was no point in questioning her any further.

Touka turned her gaze towards Katashi. Her expression remained unfazed. He, on the other hand, appeared to be furious.

"Fine!" he shouted. "Whatever! Abe is not the killer! If that's the case, then how did the culprit poison Nakou?! If you factor in the time it takes for the poison to kill the victim, which is only a few minutes, then there were no other opportunities for her to be poisoned!"

"No other opportunities..." Amaya said. "I think that might give us a hint."

He gasped. "What?!"

"You said we should factor in the time it takes for the poison to kill the victim," she said. "What if we don't?"

"Then... That would be factually incorrect," Saeka replied.

"It _would_ be," Amaya said. "But what if... there was a way to extend that time?"

Kaya gasped. "Th-That's it! _Foeti poesied_!"

As soon as Kaya said that, something clicked inside my head.

_...Oh! OH! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!_

"What... are you talking about?" Onoji asked.

"It's another one of those drugs from the infirmary," Amaya said. "It makes it so that the effects of another drug only manifest themselves after a certain period of time."

"O-Oh!" Chihiro gasped.

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "Yup! That's it! The killer used _Foeti Poesied_ alongside _Aldo Compo_!"

"So the killer used another drug..." Itaki said. "They must be really intelligent. I would not have thought of that."

"W-With that plan," Denki said, "the killer didn't have to be there... Right?"

"By my estimates," Kaya said, "the killer must have poisoned Ms. Nakou about two and a half days before she died!"

"That..." Saeka said. "That is surprisingly useful information coming from you."

"Wait, can we even believe what she's saying?" Jasmine asked.

"What are you implying?!" Kaya shouted. "Y-You bully! I, the great Kaya Suzuya, have far greater knowledge than any of you when it comes to this subject!"

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give it a chance," Chihiro said.

"Around three days ago..." Aiko mumbled. "Three days ago, the killer poisoned Yoko... Unbelievable..."

 _If this really is what happened,_ I thought, _then it opens up another new set of possibilities._

"Hmpf, fine," Katashi muttered. "That doesn't change anything."

"Huh?" Jasmine replied. "Are you even listening?"

"Let's assume you are right," he said. "Nakou was poisoned two and half days before she died... That would be three days ago. Did any of you see Nakou eat or drink anything aside from breakfast, lunch, or dinner?"

"No, I don't think I have..." Chihiro replied.

"M-Me neither," Denki said.

"No one?" he insisted.

Nobody spoke up.

"...Where are you getting at?" I asked.

"Great," Katashi said, ignoring me. "Then, we can safely assume Nakou was poisoned during breakfast, lunch or dinner. And who is the person that cooks our meals?"

_...Aiko!_

Onoji gasped. "N-No! Aiko would never... never! Sh-She would never do that! Not on purpose!"

"As sad as that situation would be," Aiko said, "I understand that I may have burned Yoko's body. That was... an unfortunate accident... However, I would never poison her! Never!"

Aiko seemed to have regained her energy. She looked confidently at Katashi.

"If that's the case," Katashi replied, "then Nakou was not poisoned."

Aiko raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"There was not a single opportunity for one of us to poison Nakou," Katashi said. "Or, at the very least, we could not come up with one. If no one has anything to say, then we can finally end this."

"H-How..." Niko mumbled.

"Excuse me?" he replied.

"H-How can you say that... with so much confidence..." she said.

Katashi grinned. "I have a brain, and I use it to the fullest extent. Do I really have to say it again? Either Mamoru willingly poisoned Nakou, or she accidentally burned her to death. There are no other options."

"But according to Masuta's rule," Amaya said, "if Aiko had poisoned Yoko like that, it would've been considered suicide..."

"Then, it's settled," he said. "The cause of Nakou's death was being burned alive. That doesn't change the fact Mamoru did it."

_Katashi... Now, you're seriously getting on my nerves...!_

"Hey, Abe!" he called me. "I've just proven your theory wrong. Are you not going to say anything? Well then, let's move onto voting-"

I raised my head. "Wait."

He crossed his arms. "You got something to say?"

He was clearing toying me around. Was he just that confident that I could not figure it out? Well, he was not wrong...

_This is hard...! I have to come up with something... Some way for the killer to have poisoned Yoko three days ago._

"As expected," Katashi said. "You shouldn't have asked for me to wait if you didn't have anything, Abe."

"I-I do have something," I said.

"Hurry up and tell us, then," he insisted.

_I don't have that much time to think. I'll have to make it up as I go._

"Um..." I began. "It... It happened three days ago... Probably... Probably around that time we held the Secret Santa...!"

_That's... That's it!_

"And Yoko..." I said. "She _did_ eat something during the Secret Santa!"

At that moment, Katashi froze in place. His smirk disappeared.

Amaya picked up her notebook and began flipping through its pages. "...NO WAY!"

"What are you talking about, Daichi?" Chihiro asked.

"The gift Yoko received," I said. "The gift _Katashi_ gave her."

"Katashi gave Yoko... a piece of cake!" Amaya shouted, showing us the list she had made of everyone's presents. "Remember how he stuffed it into her mouth?! It was all planned!"

"W-Wait," Denki stuttered. "Th-Then... Katashi poisoned..."

Onoji gasped. "He poisoned the cake!"

Katashi froze in place. His eyes widened. "...Huh?"

Hayato smiled. "How ironic... Did you know that the word 'gift' means poison in German?"

"No one cares!" Jasmine yelled.

"Nevertheless, it looks as though we have found the culprit," Saeka said. "The actual culprit."

Kaya laughed. "Wahahaha! At long last! Oof! I must say... This trial thingy can be pretty tiring, even for ones as great as the great Kaya Suzuya."

"Um..." Chihiro mumbled. "Should we-"

_*BAM!*_

"NO!"

It was Katashi's time to slam his hand on the podium.

"How the fuck can you believe this bullshit reasoning?!" he exclaimed.

"Well, the evidence lines up," Amaya replied. "That's more than enough reason for me to believe it."

"There's no evidence!" he shouted. "Even if it makes sense for Nakou to have already been dead before Kikai entered her room, we can't be entirely sure she was poisoned. She might have been killed another way! Abe could have stabbed her while he was there with her alone!"

"No, there's evidence I didn't do that," I replied. "You searched Yoko's room, too, didn't you? I remember seeing you examining her bed really thoroughly. You must know there were no traces of blood there."

 _The reason why he was examining her room..._ I thought. _It was probably to check if she had left any sort of note regarding her symptoms. If she hadn't fallen asleep, she would've most likely realised what was happening to her..._

"That still doesn't prove anything!" he shouted. "All you have to go by are Suzuya's stupid calculations! She could've got it all wrong, and you wouldn't even know it!"

Kaya frowned. "What are you insinuating?! My calculations are absolutely correct!"

"How can _we_ know that?" he said. "You can't hand in a research without mentioning your sources."

"Well, _I_ am the source!" she shouted.

He crossed his arms. "So you're admitting to having no sources?"

She flinched. "W-Well, t-technically yes, but-"

"Then we cannot trust that piece of information," he said.

"Y-YOU B-B-BULLY!" she shouted. "I-I wouldn't lie! I, the great Kaya Suzuya, have years of experience dealing with chemicals!"

Katashi seemed to ignore her.

"Now, then," he said. "Until you present specific evidence that Nakou was really poisoned during the Secret Santa, I refuse to accept any of this! Are you really that desperate to pin this crime on me?! C'mon, face the truth! Mamoru is the only one who could have done this!"

"W-Wait a second!" I replied. "You're asking for too much. There's no way a piece of evidence like that exists. The Secret Santa happened three days ago!"

He grinned. "Then I am not the culprit. You said it yourself."

_C-Crap...! What should I-?!_

"A piece of evidence like that does exist," Touka said.

He flinched. "Wh-What the fuck are you talking about?!"

 _Something that proves Yoko was poisoned three days ago..._ I thought. _That's...!_

"The blackout that happened in the video room...!" I said. "That must be it!"

"That happened two days ago, right?" Onoji said.

At that moment, Chihiro's eyes widened. "O-Oh! Daichi is right! I think that's the case at least. Feel free to contradict me if you-"

"Please, do not drag this on," Saeka said. "I... am getting tired..."

She nodded. "S-Sure... Um... It has to do with why the blackout happened. Is that right, Daichi?"

I smiled. "Yes, that's exactly it."

"...What?" Jasmine asked. "Wasn't that blackout just Masuta's fault?"

"Masuta simply decided it wasn't necessary to show us those motive videos," Itaki said. "He caused a blackout because he had no other option to stop them from playing."

"Didn't he say he decided to save them for later?" Onoji said.

"That is correct, but..." Chihiro said. "We never found out why he changed his plans."

 _She's right..._ I thought, recalling the events of that day.

* * *

_Masuta brushed off their remarks. "You see, my friends... Originally, you guys were meant to see a motive video, but... The plan has changed! I decided that it wouldn't be wise to show you that video at this moment. The better option was to save it for later! However, when I realised that, it was already too late... The only option I had was to cause the blackout, since I couldn't stop the videos from playing!"_

_"Are we supposed to be happy about that?" Saeka questioned._

_"Upupupu! Maybe~!" Masuta replied. "Things will become more exciting soon, I promise!"_

* * *

I put my hand on my chin. _And a few moments later, he said..._

* * *

_"There's one thing I still don't understand..." Amaya said._

_"I'll answer as many questions of yours as I can, my friends!" Masuta declared._

_"Okay..." she replied. "Why did you decide not to play the video?"_

_"Because there was no need to," he replied. "It's as simple as that."_

* * *

"You're saying that..." Aiko said. "You're saying that he didn't give us a motive because..."

"It was just as Masuta said back then," Saeka said. "He simply did not have a reason to do it. Katashi had already poisoned Yoko by that point. A murder was _bound_ to happen."

"Wow, Masuta really is lazier than I'd thought," Amaya said.

"H-Hey!" Masuta shouted. "I work really hard, you know! I couldn't just let that motive go to waste... It was a really good one! It's my favourite one out of the bunch!"

_Out of the bunch...?!_

He smiled. "I just decided to save it for later, okay? Expect it to show up in the future in case you survive this trial! Until then, don't let the suspense kill you~!"

"Sure..." Aiko replied. "Well, I suppose that explains things. Now, back to the topic at hand..."

Once again, everyone turned their eyes to Katashi. He opened his mouth. However, he didn't say anything. Instead, he simply lowered his head.

"Katashi," I said, "is this a sign of defeat?"

"...No," he replied. "I'm just... tired. Do whatever you want."

"Are you serious?" Jasmine replied. "I mean, that's great news for us, but..."

"Yeah," Amaya said. "That was definitely a bit of a letdown. I was expecting him to put up a decent fight."

"Quit joking and do what you want," he said. "Do... Do whatever the fuck you want..."

He sighed. I could no longer sense fear in his attitude. He just looked... disappointed.

"I was foolish," he said. "What was I thinking? I can't do what _I_ want. That's... That's how it's always been..."

Katashi appeared to be talking to himself more than anyone else.

"Somehow, I was able to win..." he mumbled. "I was able to win just that one time... Being lucky, you know? I finally understood you all. That sure was a great feeling. Ah... I knew it was too much. But hey, if one's life is garbage, why not bet it all on the single chance they'd ever receive?"

"Is this supposed to change our minds?" Jasmine replied. "Cuz I'm still voting for you."

"We don't really have a choice," Chihiro said.

"Well, at least my business won't be affected as much," Itaki said. "Katashi was never a good customer to begin with. I'm really thankful it ended up being him instead of Aiko."

Aiko frowned. "S-Seriously, don't say that sort of stuff!"

Katashi stood silently. He had finally accepted his defeat.

 _No, that's not right,_ I thought. _I have the feeling... I have the feeling that, deep down, he was expecting to lose..._

I recalled the conversation I'd had with Katashi in front of the library.

* * *

_"I think there's no point in holding back information anymore..." Katashi said. "You see-"_

_"What do you mean?" I interrupted, confused._

_Katashi was a bit annoyed with my interruption. "Abe, don't you realise it?"_

_"Realise... what?" I asked._

_"We might not have that much time left," he said coldly. "It doesn't seem like police are coming. Sooner or later, someone will turn up dead."_

* * *

By that point, Katashi had already poisoned Yoko.

 _That's why he told me that,_ I thought. _He just didn't see any reason in holding back information any longer. He knew he might die the following day..._

"Soooooo..." Masuta said, giggling.

"Yup, we can vote now," Amaya said.

Onoji sighed. "I don't want to go through this ever again... Well, things can't get any worse."

"Don't say that!" Jasmine yelled. "That brings bad luck, dammit!"

"Wahahaha!" Kaya laughed. "I agree! You see, there is this research-"

"Save that for tomorrow," Saeka interrupted. "Please, Masuta-"

"Hold on."

The voice had come from Aiko's mouth.

"We should... give it a look one more time," she said.

"Why?" Onoji replied. "We already know Katashi is the killer."

"Yeah, we already know that bastard did it," Jasmine said.

"We shouldn't let him get away with it," Itaki said.

"Just to make sure..." Aiko said. "We can make any mistakes. It's always important to revise before handing a test back."

"Revising is for insecure cowards," Jasmine said.

"B-But it is safer..." Denki replied.

"Just let Daichi do it," Amaya said.

I raised an eyebrow. "M-Me...?"

"Yes, you," she replied. "You're probably the one best suited for this."

"But aren't you a detective?" I said.

She smiled. "Yeah, I guess I am. What about it?"

I sighed. "F-Fine... I'll do it."

We had come so far since the beginning of the trial.

And it was finally time to bring it all to an end.

"Let's start with the beginning..."

* * *

** Act 1 **

_It all began a few days ago, when we agreed to play Secret Santa. Yoko Nakou, the victim of this case, would be the one responsible for the preparations. She organised the dining hall, and gave each one of us a piece of paper with someone else's name._

_The culprit of this case got Yoko herself as their secret friend._ _However, they didn't intend to give her a normal present. Their plan was to use that situation as a means to kill her without anyone noticing. They baked her a cake, and contaminated it with Aldo Compo, a fatal poison which can be found in the infirmary. They also mixed in a bit of Foeti Poesied, a drug which makes it so another drug's effects only manifest themselves a certain amount of time later. In this specific case, it made it so the victim would only die about two and a half days after ingesting the poison._

_Three days ago, we held the Secret Santa. During the game, the culprit gave Yoko their present—the poisoned cake. They stuffed it into her mouth, making sure she swallowed it whole._

_And at that moment, her fate was sealed._

* * *

**Act 2**

_However, the culprit's plan wasn't flawless. The poison they used, Aldo Compo, has a few side effects, such as blue-ish skin and bloodshot eyes. Thus, it would be really easy for us to identify Yoko's cause of death. To counteract this, they decided to burn her body once she finally died._

_The culprit contacted Masuta. They_ _asked him to take Yoko's dead body from her room to the incinerator room and burn it. The door to her room would have been unlocked as soon as she died._ _And it wouldn't be against the rules, as, since she would already be dead, no matter what he did, Masuta theoretically wouldn't be causing any harm to her._

_Judging by what we have seen of our game master, it was probably extremely easy to persuade him. However, it's also possible he may have had an ulterior motive for agreeing to the culprit's plans._

* * *

**Act 3**

_Yoko was having some problems sleeping, so Kaya gave her some Miz Arfod sleeping pills, which can also be found in the infirmary._ _Yesterday afternoon, she went to Yoko's room, and delivered her the bottle of medicine._

_Soon after Kaya left the room, I went there. I chatted with Yoko for a few minutes, and then she proceeded to take the medicine. As stated in the bottle's label, she fell asleep almost instantly. I didn't lock the door when I left. As a result, we didn't immediately realise it would've still been unlocked had one of us actually remembered to lock it._

_Yoko died somewhere between 3 pm, when I left her room, and 7 pm, when Onoji saw her dead body through the door hole. However, he didn't know she was dead, since it looked like she was just sleeping. Her head was facing the wall, so he couldn't notice the side effects from the poison._

_At around that same time, Masuta secretly used a pipette to spill a substance on Jasmine's clothes that made them smell horribly. For that reason, she asked Aiko to wash her clothes again, and she agreed to it. Unbeknownst to them, their actions went all according to Masuta's plan._

_Finally, as for the culprit, in order to create a solid alibi for themselves, they spent the entire day in the library alongside Saeka and Kaya. They only returned to the dormitory at midnight, after the door to the incinerator room had already been locked._

* * *

** Act 4 **

_Some time before 9 pm, Masuta entered Yoko's room. He put her body inside a trash bag, so that he wouldn't look as suspicious while carrying it._

_Around that same time, Hayato decided to go for a night-walk, as he always does. Masuta knew about that, so he waited for him._

_As Masuta saw Hayato approaching, he left the trash bag with Yoko's body out in the open, and hid behind the bushes in front of the dormitory._ _Consequently, Hayato stumbled upon it._

_And, at that moment... he had an idea._

_He went to the kitchen to get a knife. Jasmine, who was on her way to the shop, caught a glimpse of his shadow as he was rushing to the dining hall. However, since he had already entered the kitchen, she didn't see him._

_After that, he headed back to where Masuta had left the body. He then proceeded to stab it. That_ _explains the pool of blood we discovered near the dormitory. The knife was left there as well. With that done, he_ _went back to the dormitory._

 _His motives are... confusing, to say the least. It is still unclear to me why he did it, or if he knew Yoko was already dead then._ _Either way, Masuta knew he would do something like that, using him to make this case more difficult._

* * *

**Act 5**

_Masuta did not come out of his hiding spot until around 9.45 pm. He did so in order to make this case harder by making the times not match. Otherwise, we could have more easily linked Jasmine's account to the murder. Moreover, he knew that Aiko had agreed to wash Jasmine's clothes that night, and he had decided to use that to complicate this case even more._

_As expected, Aiko headed to the laundry room. On her way there, she saw Masuta carrying the trash bag to the incinerator room._

_After stuffing the clothes inside one of the washing machines, Aiko tried to start it. However, she accidentally pushed the wrong button. For some reason, Masuta had chosen to make it so that one of the buttons actually turned the incinerator on. That was the button Aiko pushed. This is why the clothes we found in the washing machine were still smelly—the machine hadn't been activated in the first place._ _Masuta had been waiting for that moment. He believed that Aiko would push the wrong button. It was a gamble, but... It paid off._

 _He put Yoko's body inside the incinerator. However, it activated before he could take his hands away from it, burning them in the process._ _That explains the piece of plastic we found—Masuta probably ripped it off in that moment of pain._ _And with that, he left the incinerator room._

* * *

**Act 6**

_The next morning, I went to the incinerator room, as I had some trash to burn. There, I found the ashes of Yoko's body, and the body announcement discovery played. That meant three people had seen the body, those being me, Hayato and Onoji. Masuta wasn't included._ _It turns out that the culprit did not even see it until everyone gathered in the incinerator room._

_Masuta tried to hide his injury by wearing gloves, but we had already seen the bandages covering his hands during the investigation, so it was useless._

* * *

**_I must admit, they had a decent plan. However, it was not enough._ **

**_The culprit behind this complicated scheme..._ **

**_The person truly responsible for Yoko's murder..._ **

**_...is you, Katashi Akeru!_ **

* * *

Katashi clapped his hands, looking away from me. "Outstanding job, Abe..."

Ignoring him, I turned my head towards Masuta. "You may go ahead now."

Masuta giggled. "Upupupu! Now, my friends, it's... VOTING TIME!"

The big screen that had been displaying "TRIAL - IN SESSION" began showing the words "VOTING TIME".

Right in front of me, a panel displaying everyone's faces appeared. Yoko's was crossed out with an 'X', though we could still vote for her.

Masuta cleared his throat. "Click on the icon that shows the face of whoever you think is the blackened. And yes, there _will_ be punishment for those who don't vote! You have thirty seconds! Ah! The excitement! Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice? Or the dreadfully wrong one~?"

Without hesitation, I voted for Katashi. After about ten seconds, the panel disappeared.

"All right!" Masuta said. "Everyone has voted!"

 _It looks like no one had any doubts on their mind..._ I thought.

"Now, now, now," he said. "The results are in! Oh, this is so exciting!"

Despite what I had said before, I could not help but feel slightly worried. I felt my heart beating inside my chest. Why was I so worried?

_Ha! What am I even thinking! We chose the right answer! We did it... Right?_

And the results shown were...

* * *

**Aiko Mamoru** **\- 0 votes**

**Amaya Chinen** **\- 0 votes**

**Chihiro Toga** **\- 0 votes**

**Daichi Abe** **\- 0 votes**

**Denki Kabayashi** **\- 0 votes**

**Hayato Mizuki** **\- 2 votes**

**Itaki Shimamoto** **\- 0 votes**

**Jasmine Unhook** **\- 0 votes**

**Katashi Akeru** **\- 12 votes**

**Kaya Suzuya** **\- 0 votes**

**Niko Tatsuya** **\- 0 votes**

**Onoji Deminnerv** **\- 0 votes**

**Saeka Takamoto** **\- 0 votes**

**Touka Ichikawa \- 0 votes**

**Yoko Nakou** **\- 0 votes**

* * *

"According to you, my friends, Katashi Akeru is the blackened..." Masuta said. "Twelve votes for him! What a staggering amount!"

 _And there were two votes for Hayato..._ I thought. _Those probably were from Katashi and Hayato himself._

Masuta smiled. "Now, let's see if your answer is correct... The true blackened is..."

The lights in the trial room turned off. After a few seconds, a giant spotlight was cast upon...

"Katashi Akeru! Ding ding ding! You guys are absolutely correct! Wahahahaha! The culprit of this case is Katashi Akeru, the Ultimate Unlucky Student!"

_...Wait, what did he say just now?!_

Ultimate Unlucky Student... What a strange title to have. But somehow... it definitely fit Katashi.

"What are you guys waiting for?" Masuta said. "C'mon, get off your seats! I'll allow some time before the punishment!"

We all stepped down from our seats. The atmosphere in the trial room was... uncomfortable, to say the least.

"What are you all staring at?" Katashi said.

Jasmine crossed her arms. "What do you think?"

He didn't reply.

"So, you're the Ultimate Unlucky Student," Amaya said. "I must say, that sure is a weird title."

He looked away. "I... I hate that title. It's stupid."

"It is, indeed!" Kaya exclaimed.

 _That's probably why he didn't tell us about it..._ I thought.

He sighed. "Still... I might as well explain how I got it. You see, the government ran a lottery to choose the Ultimate Lucky Student. The one chosen was Nakou. However, it didn't end there. They ran the lottery again, and again, and again... Until there was only one person left. This person would receive the title of Ultimate Unlucky Student, and they'd participate in the Ultimate Project. Of course, that was me."

"Ultimate Unlucky Student..." Aiko said. "Being granted that title by the government... It must have been really disheartening."

Katashi averted his eyes. "I'm... used to it."

Amaya raised her hand. "I have another question. How exactly were you able to convince Masuta to do what you wanted?"

"I didn't," Katashi said. "He was the one to come up with the idea. The day I settled my mind on killing Nakou, he came to my room. I already had a rough plan in my mind, and he helped me with the finer details."

"Upupupupu!" Masuta giggled. "And it paid off, wouldn't you say? My contribution to this case made it so much better!"

I crossed my arms. "Why would you feel the need to do that?"

"Don't overthink it!" he shouted. "I was just trying to make things more interesting, okay?! Oh, and don't count on me in your future murder plans. I only did this once as this was the first case, and I figured you guys would need a bit of inspiration."

 _This is strange..._ I thought. _Something about this... doesn't feel right. But this isn't the most important thing right now..._

We all turned our attention back to Katashi. He remained silent.

Jasmine looked annoyed. "That's it?! You won't explain anything else?"

"D-Don't you want to tell us?" Denki asked. "D-Don't you want to... e-explain why you did it?"

"I... I have talked too much," Katashi said. "I believe I have already explained myself."

"Th-That wasn't a proper explanation at all!" Niko said.

Onoji sighed. "I didn't understand any of it..."

"I don't care if you don't understand," Katashi said. "Actually, I'd prefer it if it stayed this way."

He turned his head toward Masuta. "Get on with the-"

"I understand," Touka interrupted.

_Touka...?_

Katashi gasped. "Wh-What did you say?"

"I understand you," Touka said, though her words lacked empathy. "You're... unlucky. Or, at least, you believe you are. Good luck doesn't exist in your world."

"Tch. What about it?" he muttered. "It's over now. Please, don't tell-"

"You believe... that there's no way for you to escape your fate," she continued. "Bad things keep happening to you. And you think your life isn't worth living."

"..."

"You were jealous," she said. "Jealous of Yoko Nakou. Jealous of her 'talent'. Jealous that she could live a happy life."

_Katashi was... jealous?_

"Fine," he said. "Now, if you please-"

"But that's not it," she replied, taking him by surprise. "That's what _you_ kept telling yourself. You were _not_ jealous. You just used that... as a way of coping. Everyone has some decency in them. No one kills without having any sort of regret. The truth... is much simpler."

I didn't fully understand what she was saying, but I couldn't interrupt her. I could only keep listening.

"I have no regrets!" Katashi shouted. "What kind of bullshit is-?!"

"You simply wanted to escape," Touka said. "I don't know the details, but... you wanted to escape. Ever since our first day here. You only wanted to escape."

"Our first day here...?" Aiko said, her eyes widened.

Touka looked straight into Katashi's eyes. "And the reason you wanted to escape is-"

"SH-SHUT UP!" he shouted. "Seriously, shut the fuck up, you bitch!"

Suddenly, he fell to the ground.

_*Bam!*_

He slammed his fists hard against the floor.

"If it weren't for you...!" he said. "If it weren't for you, I would've been able to escape! I would've been able... to save it... But now, the orange tree...! It's just going to rot away and die! I won't be able to keep my promise to her! And... Even after all that... You still want to piss on my face?! I'm going to die, you know?! And yet... Yet, you still want to humiliate me in front of everyone?!"

Touka didn't reply.

"...What are you talking about, Katashi?" I asked.

"I-It's none of your business," he replied, regaining his composure.

Saeka looked at him coldly. "Was that speech supposed to make us pity you? If so, it did not work. What you said does not change the fact you are a merciless killer."

"W-Wait! I... I just had to take the chance!" he shouted. "That was my only chance to escape! Nothing good has ever happened to me! That one time... When I got lucky... When I got the paper with Nakou's name on it...!"

"What an edgelord..." Amaya muttered.

"I won that time...!" he said, his face red with anger. "I didn't know the reason... But I had to take that chance! It was the only chance I was ever given! You... You would never understand!"

"But you never won," Touka replied.

"Huh...?"

"That paper..." she said. "The distribution of those papers was rigged."

 _...What?_ I thought, dazzled.

"Um... Touka," I said. "I don't think you've got that right. I was with Yoko at the time. She didn't temper with anything. And besides, she wasn't the kind of person to lie like that."

"Daichi," Touka said. "No. Twice."

I raised an eyebrow. "What...?"

"Yoko Nakou _did_ temper with the distribution of the papers," she explained. "And she _was_ the kind of person to lie like that."

What was Touka talking about? Yoko was not a liar. On the contrary, I found her to be a very sweet person. I could not think of a single moment she had lied to-

* * *

_"These pieces of paper contain everyone's names," she explained. "I was going to go around the school and make sure everyone drew a random paper out of these. You know, for our Secret Santa tomorrow?"_

_"That makes sense..." I said. "But... why me?"_

_"Well..." she said, deep in thought. "I dunno. We just bumped into each other and then the idea just sorta came to my mind."_

_"Wait, that doesn't sound right," I replied. "You've just said that you've been looking for me."_

_"Oh, yeah..." Yoko admitted. "I did say that... Sorry! You caught me!"_

_Yoko giggled._

_"Did you... lie?" I asked. "Why?"_

_"Geez, can't you be any less paranoid!" she said. "Don't be so nitpicky! Whenever someone says they've been looking for me, I feel... special. I just want to give others that feeling."_

* * *

It was true—Yoko had lied to me back then. And she did so without any sign of remorse...

 _Yeah, thinking back on it now, that was definitely strange,_ I thought. _However, the fact still remains... Yoko lied because she wanted to make me happy, or at least that was what she told me._

"Yoko Nakou was a master of lies," Touka said. "I don't have the exact details, but I am certain of that. And I'm also certain she somehow rigged the distribution of those papers."

"Wait, so you don't actually know?" Jasmine replied.

"I _do_ know," she said. "I could sense what she was planning that morning."

Jasmine frowned. "That means you _don't_ know."

Touka looked at me. "But you were there, Daichi Abe. You should know the answer."

She was right. I was there with Yoko, but I didn't recall her making any suspicious moves.

 _Touka must be right,_ I thought. _She was the one that alerted us of Katashi being the killer. There must be some grain of truth to what she's saying... Think back on it, Daichi... What did Yoko do?_

* * *

_"C'mon! Grab a random paper!" Yoko exclaimed, stretching her hand to show him the two remaining pieces of paper._

_"I'm serious," Katashi stated._

_"If you don't want to pick one, I'll grab one for you!" she declared. She put her hand into her pocket and took out a piece of paper. She then proceeded to shove it onto Katashi's hands. "Here you go!"_

_Katashi let out a sigh, before reluctantly reading the piece of paper. As he was reading it, he raised an eyebrow. I could also notice a faint laugh._

* * *

"O-Oh!" I exclaimed. "Touka... You're right! How come I didn't think of that! I know I was tired then, but how could I not notice-"

"Cut to the chase," Amaya said.

"Yoko had a piece of paper inside her pocket," I said. "And she gave it to Katashi. She had been saving the paper with her name for him. She wanted to make sure _he_ was the one to get it. And she did it so seamlessly as well..."

Katashi's eyes widened. "Nakou... gave me that piece of paper on purpose...?!"

"Why would she do that, though?" Onoji asked.

"Maybe..." Aiko mumbled. "Maybe she had fallen in love..."

At that moment, I recalled another thing Yoko had told me.

* * *

_"I see..." I mumbled, trying to smile. "What are your thoughts on him, then?"_

_"About the same as yours," Yoko replied. "He must have been through a lot... The poor guy... Honestly, he's kinda cute..."_

_"Wh-What?!" I shouted. "Where did that come from?!"_

_Yoko took a few steps toward me and pressed her index finger against my lips._

_"Shhh..." she whispered into my ear. "It's a secret. Don't go around telling everyone. Gossip is a very bad thing."_

* * *

_No way...!_

"Th-That's... a bit sad..." Denki stuttered.

"It would be," Touka said, "if it were true. I don't think Yoko Nakou held any romantic feelings for him. As a matter of fact, she didn't love anyone."

_But Yoko told me she found him cute... Wait...! Was that a lie, too?!_

"Wahahaha! I got it!" Kaya exclaimed. "Yoko was an alien that could predict the future! She gave the paper to Katashi... so that he'd kill her, and end her miserable existence."

"I... don't think that's quite right," Chihiro said.

"Then, what was it?" Saeka asked. "Why did Yoko decide to give that paper to Katashi?"

Touka shook her head. "I... don't know."

 _She... doesn't know?_ _I suppose we'll never figure it out, then..._

"Aren't you guys being a little too harsh on her?" Aiko asked. "I mean, she's dead..."

"According to Daichi, though, she _did_ rig the Secret Santa," Amaya said, "but aside from that, I admit we don't really have any proof she was the compulsive liar Touka's trying to make her out to be."

"I do have proof," Touka replied. "Yoko Nakou lied to Daichi Abe about having an incurable illness. I overheard their conversation, as I've said before."

_...What?!_

* * *

_"...All right, then," she began. "Like I said... I had an illness when I was younger... I don't recall what it was exactly, but I do know it was something serious..."_

_"It must have been pretty difficult," I said._

_"Not really..." she replied. "I had a very happy childhood, if I do say so myself..."_

_She stared at nothing in particular as she spoke. The more she talked, the more distant from the world around her she seemed to become._

_"The only thing I can remember about it was... that I couldn't sleep," she said._

_"Wait..." I said. "You don't mean-!"_

_"Yes..." she replied. "I believe that illness... has returned."_

* * *

I gasped. "Wh-What?! That was a lie as well?!"

Touka nodded her head. "Precisely. She did not have any sort of illness from what I have gathered. Instead, the insomnia she had been suffering from was a result of the poison."

"I, the great Kaya Suzuya, have to agree!" Kaya exclaimed. "The symptoms right before death by _Aldo Compo_ include... fatigue! Because of _Foeti Poesied_ , though, Ms. Nakou began experiencing this symptom long before she actually died! Wahahaha! What an amazing discovery, indeed!"

"...But why would she lie about having a terminal illness?" Onoji asked.

"Perhaps she did not want Daichi to suspect anything," Saeka said. "Otherwise, he would probably have gone looking for whoever had poisoned her."

"She had already accepted her death," Hayato said. "And she lied to protect Daichi... What a noble cause."

Yoko had lied... to protect me? Or had she done it because of something else?

Nothing made sense about that girl anymore. During all of the time we had spent together, she'd seemed perfectly normal. Maybe _too_ normal. Had Yoko truly been a liar all along? What had she been trying to accomplish?

...Who was Yoko Nakou?

Katashi sighed. "Long story short, I never won, huh? It was all because of that damn girl... Ah... I shouldn't be surprised... As I've said before, nothing of good ever happens to me..."

He clenched his fists.

"Nothing..." he mumbled. "Nothing..."

_Is he... crying?_

"Katashi..." I said. "You are wrong about that."

"Abe...?"

"You... You only _think_ that nothing of good ever happens to you," I said. "But that isn't the truth. There is no such thing as a future set in stone. Amazing things do happen to you. You just don't see them. I know your life must have been hard, but-"

"NO, YOU FUCKING DON'T!" he shouted, tears rolling down his face. "Y-You would never understand! Do people on the street avoid you because of how you look?! Did you grow up with almost no food to eat?! Did you see your parents die in front of your fucking face?! OF COURSE NOT, DAMMIT! YOU WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND!"

I opened my mouth to say something, but couldn't.

"Ever since I was born... Only bad things happen to me! Getting forced to play a killing game is just the tip of the iceberg. You don't know I've been through, Abe!"

Katashi was right—my words carried no meaning whatsoever. What else was I supposed to say in that situation? Tell him "too bad" and move on?

_I... should've just kept my mouth shut..._

...

"And look at where we are now..." Katashi said. "I... killed Nakou for the shittiest reasons you could ask for...!"

_*Bam!*_

Katashi slammed his head against the floor.

"My life just keeps bringing misery to everyone around me... I'm... worthless... Just a worthless piece of shit...!"

*Bam!*

"I can't...! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

_*Bam!*_

"Please... Just... let me die already...!"

Katashi began sobbing heavily.

"A-At least... I'm going to die alone... No one is going to care about me once I die... Th-That's good..."

Placing his head on the cold floor, he took a deep breath.

"I... I-I'm... alone... I-I'm... glad..."

No one said anything as Katashi remained there, on the ground, sobbing.

...

Finally, Katashi raised his head and looked at me.

"...Y-You'd never understand," he said.

"...You're right, Katashi," I said. "You're absolutely right. I would never understand. I shouldn't have ever said what I said."

Katashi looked away. "If you're done, just let me die alrea-"

I put my hands on his shoulders.

"BUT EVEN SO...!"

As I burst into tears, Katashi looked at me, surprised.

"KATASHI, I WANT YOU TO KNOW... THAT I'M GLAD I MET YOU!"

I didn't know if that was the best way to word it, but I had to somehow convey my feelings. I would've never forgiven myself if I'd kept them all inside.

"D-Don't say... that your life has only brought misery to everyone! Because... That's not true! I can say that for certain."

The conversation we'd had in front of the library had never left me—I felt like Katashi and I... could have ended up being very good friends if we'd had the time to sort things out.

"YOU'RE NOT WORTHLESS! YOUR LIFE HAS MEANING, SO DON'T EVER SAY THAT! NEVER! NOT EVEN IN THE BRINK OF DEATH!"

Without even noticing it, I had begun shouting.

I looked him in the eye. "Katashi... I... will never be able to forgive you for what you've done."

"H-Hey, Abe..."

"BUT PLEASE...! DON'T DIE!"

Katashi raised his head, looking at me straight in the eye. "Abe...! I-I!"

Suddenly, he fell to the floor again.

"ARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!!!! DAMMIT!"

I wiped the tears off my eyes. _I had... to get that out of my chest..._

"W-We can go back now, right?" Denki stuttered. "I-I'm sure Katashi will live a happier life from now on..."

Katashi glanced at me, as tears rolled down from his face.

"Not so fast!" Masuta shouted. "What are you talking about?! Katashi hasn't been punished yet!"

"Punished..." Onoji mumbled. "Wait. Y-You don't mean-!"

"Yup!" he replied. "Punishment! In other words... Execution! Wahahahahaha!

At that moment, a feeling of desperation took over us.

"D-Don't use my signature evil laugh for such f-filthy purposes!" Kaya exclaimed.

"I-I thought he was... joking when he said that..." Onoji mumbled.

Aiko instantly grabbed his hand. "Stay behind me, Onoji."

Suddenly, the metal door in the back of the trial room opened, revealing a dark corridor.

"I-I don't wanna see it!" Niko exclaimed, closing her eyes.

I quickly rushed toward Katashi, stretching out my hand. As I ran, however, chains came to pull him back. A metal collar came to bound his neck.

"A-Abe..." he said, struggling to speak. "Argh! I-I... I c-can't b-b-believe I'm saying this, b-but... Th-Thank y-y-"

Before he could finish his sentence, however, Masuta exclaimed...

**"IT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!!!!"**

* * *

** Katashi has been found guilty. Time for the punishment! **

* * *

_Katashi struggled as he was pulled through the dark corridor. Gasping for air, he desperately tried to free himself from the metal collar, but to no avail._

_Once on the other end of the corridor, he found himself in a dark room. Not soon after, he collided against something in the back of said room. He tried to move, but he couldn't go far. He was trapped in some sort of cylindrical container made of glass, with no way out._

_Suddenly, the lights of the room turned on. Katashi closed his eyes. A spotlight had been cast on him, and it was too bright._

_*Clap!* *Clap!*_ _*Clap!* *Clap!*_

_He heard the sound of a crowd of people clapping their hands in excitement._

_After a few moments, he slowly reopened his eyes and, astounded, realised the true nature of the room._

_It was... a studio?_

* * *

** Wheel of Misfortune **

**Ultimate Unlucky Student**

**_Katashi Akeru's Execution: Executed_ **

* * *

_There was a big audience watching him. He couldn't tell whether they were real or not. Their cheering only got louder and louder, making his head hurt. Over to his side, he saw a giant monitor. And finally, i_ _n front of him stood Masuta, giggling. He was wearing a purple suit and a red bow tie._

_At that moment, Masuta pointed towards the monitor. It turned on, and displayed the message:_

_"CHOOSE A CARD"_

_A set of about one hundred cards appeared on the monitor. Half of them were green, half of them were red. After about ten seconds, the cards were flipped over, and began to get rearranged. It was too fast, however, for Katashi's eyes to follow. In the end, he would have to rely on his own luck._

_Katashi chose the first card. It was a red one, unfortunately. As a result, a certain amount of water was released into the container he was trapped in. He tried to break the walls of the container, but he couldn't._

_And so, he chose another card. Red. And thus, more water came._

_And another one. Red again. More water._

_And another. Red._

_And another. Red._

_And another. Red._

_Red._

_Red._

_Red._

_Red._

_Red._

_Red._

_Red._

_Red._

_After only a few rounds, the water had almost reached the top of the container. Katashi had to turn his head upwards in order to keep the water away from his nose._

_Red again._

_And again._

_And again._

_And again._

_Red._

_Red._ _  
_

_Red._ _  
_

_Red._ _  
_

_Red._ _  
_

_Red._ _  
_

_Red._ _  
_

_Red._ _  
_

_He gulped. One more red card, and that would be the end. Almost out of instinct, Katashi grabbed something out of his pocket and held it tightly._

_And the card he chose next was... green._

_And green._

_And green again._

_Little by little, the water was drained. And, as it went on, Katashi saw Masuta's face get angrier and angrier._

_"YOU WIN!"_

_Finally, after twenty green cards in a row, a hatch in the glass container was opened. Katashi climbed out of it._

_*Clap!* *Clap!*_ _*Clap!* *Clap!*_

_As he stepped into the spotlight, completely soaked in water, he was greeted with a round of applause from the audience._

_He smiled._

_He had... survived?_

_He really had survived...?_

_Katashi stood there, speechless._

_It was true._

_He had survived._

_He couldn't believe it._

_He had truly-_

_*SLASH!*_

_Out of nowhere, Masuta threw a spear towards Katashi. He couldn't even see where the game master had got it from. It was too late._

_He didn't even have time to scream._

_He fell to the floor, as blood gushed out from his stomach. The audience started making even more noise._

_*Clap!* *Clap!*_ _*Clap!* *Clap!*_

_He tried to crawl his way out of that place, but he couldn't go very far. There was little to no energy left in him._

_*Clap!* *Clap!*_ _*Clap!* *Clap!*_

 _*Clap!* *Clap!*_ _*Clap!* *Clap!*_

_At that moment, Katashi realised it. They weren't congratulating him for his victory. They were laughing at him. Laughing at him for hoping he would somehow survive._

_That laughter... was the last thing he ever heard._

...

...

...

...

...

...

_Masuta bowed to the audience. His casual smile was the same as usual._

_He walked towards Katashi's corpse, and flipped it over, so that everyone could see the damage he had left. He removed the spear._ _There was a giant hole in Katashi's chest._ _Blood was still gushing out, and it was possible to catch a glimpse of his organs._

_However, there was something peculiar about the body. The right hand was closed, hiding something._

_Covered in blood, Masuta cut said hand off with the spear._

_The object Katashi had been holding onto was..._

_...a four-leaf clover._

_Giggling, Masuta ripped it into a thousand pieces._

* * *

No one said anything as we watched the execution via a giant screen Masuta had set up. Even though I was expecting the worst, I could not help but feel a sense of dread as that nightmare came to an end. It was truly a terrifying experience. For a few moments, I just stood there, frozen in place.

"Sh-Shit...!" Jasmine muttered.

"...C-Can I open my eyes?" Denki asked. "I-Is it over?"

"Th-That..." Amaya said, her eyes widened in terror. "Th-That was... awful..."

"Wh-What, you guys are s-scared?" Kaya said. "I-I can't believe it... Hmpf! O-Of course you are... But I, the great Kaya Suzuya, am not! Wahahahaha... hahahaha... haha... ha... ha..."

I looked around. Most people also seemed to be in a state of shock.

 _This... I can't believe this is actually real..._ I thought.

Masuta reappeared behind us. Thankfully, he had washed the blood off.

He giggled. "Upupupupu! So, what did you think, my friends~?"

Aiko frowned. "Horrible. Unforgivable...!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Hm? Don't you appreciate the effort I put into it? Hmpf... Teenagers these days... Always so ungrateful!"

"I-It didn't need to be this cruel..." Onoji said.

"But he deserved it, wouldn't you say?" Masuta replied. "He killed one of your friends! You should be happy that he's gone! He didn't even interact much with you in the first place!"

We had just lost two people. And they were not coming back. 

Could we have prevented this somehow? 

Could... I have prevented this? 

If I'd done something different... would I have been able to save them?

"It's too late now..." I said to myself. "It's... too... late...! AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHH!!!!"

"Hm?" Masuta mumbled. "Daichi? Why are you so angry?"

I turned my head towards him. "IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! They died because of you! Why are you doing this?! Just who are you?!"

He smiled. "I... am Masuta Kikai, the Ultimate Game Master! And it looks like you don't quite understand your situation, Daichi."

"Huh...?!"

"Yoko and Katashi died because they made the wrong moves," he said. "Their actions alone led to their demise. I didn't do anything. Heck, I didn't even need to give you a proper motive! In other words... They died because they were stupid! Stupid! STUPID!"

I approached Masuta, eager to punch him in the face. However, before I could do so, I felt Aiko's hand on my shoulder.

"Let's head back," she said.

"It's about time," Itaki said. "This was a long day."

"The elevator is here," Saeka said. "...Shall we go?"

Thus, everyone made their way to the elevator, ever so slowly.

I noticed Aiko holding Onoji's hand. I also looked at Jasmine, who was walking alongside Denki, both with a disturbed expression. Kaya was unusually silent, and Itaki did not mention his business a single time. Even the ever-so-calm Saeka seemed affected by the dreadful atmosphere, seeing how she did not mind the presence of Kaya near her.

As I walked inside, Amaya passed right beside me. For a moment, she glanced at me, though she did not say anything. She simply smiled and kept walking.

Finally, there was Touka. Unlike everyone else, her attitude did not change the slightest bit.

 _She's colder than a robot.._. I thought as she made her way to the back corner of the elevator.

"Hold on," Aiko said. "There are two people missing."

"Huh?" I replied, looking back at the courtroom. There, I saw the two people Aiko was referring to.

Niko was crouched in the middle of the room, her hands covering her face.

"I-I d-d-d-don't... I-I d-don't wanna," she stuttered. "I-I don't w-wanna go..."

Right next to her stood Hayato.

_Him..._

After we'd discovered he had stabbed Yoko's body, he'd remained mostly silent, only making a few inoffensive comments here and there. However, there was no way I could forget about what he had done.

 _His face back then..._ I thought. _This guy is still a complete mystery. We better stay away from him..._

Hayato sat down beside Niko.

 _What is he doing...?_ I wondered.

"Niko," he said, stretching his hand. "Come with me. It will all be fine..."

He was smiling innocently. It was almost as if nothing bad had happened. He was the usual cheerful boy we had come to know.

"Niko, take my hand," he said.

The girl looked at him, her eyes full of tears. She extended her arm.

_*Slap!*_

The sound of Niko slapping him in the face echoed loudly in the courtroom.

"Ouch!" Hayato exclaimed. "Th-That hurt!"

"G-GET AWAY FROM ME!" Niko shouted. "Y-YOU MONSTER!"

"I just want to help you, Niko. Aren't you scared of elevators?"

"I-I am... O-Of course, I am..." she said, sobbing. "Elevators are t-terrifying... But you are way scarier! GET AWAY FROM ME, MONSTER!"

Those words seemed to pierce Hayato like a spear.

"Wh-What..." he stuttered. "Wh-What did you-?"

_*BAM!*_

Hayato collapsed, falling face down, unconscious.

"D-Denki?!" Jasmine exclaimed. "What did you do?!"

"I-I thought he was going to do something bad to Niko,"Denki replied. "I-I'm s-sorry..."

"What a strong punch," Itaki said. "It looks as though Hayato is not going to wake up any time soon."

"I-I'm sorry..." Denki said.

Jasmine sighed. "Nah, it's fine... He deserved it."

"I, the great Kaya Suzuya, have to agree," Kaya said. "Mr. Mizuki is a big bad bully, after all."

"Let us carry his body to the elevator," Saeka said. "We cannot leave him here, can we?"

"I'm all for just leaving him here," Jasmine muttered.

Without the need of help, Denki carried Hayato to the elevator. Niko followed right behind him.

"Th-Thank you, Denki..." she said quietly, so much so that he did not seem to hear it.

As Denki left Hayato's unconscious body in the corner of the elevator, I couldn't help but wonder what the future might have in store for us. What would he do next? What _could_ he do next?

 _He's dangerous... We have to do something about him,_ I thought.

"Everyone here?" Masuta said. "Good! Let's head back up! I hope everyone enjoyed the trial!"

The elevator began its ascension. After a couple of minutes, we reached the surface.

"Oh, yeah," Jasmine sighed. "We still have to go up those stairs..."

Following Masuta, we left the elevator room. We went up the stairs, and after a few more minutes, we found ourselves back inside the temple.

The statue moved back to its original position, covering the secret passageway. Weirdly enough, it was holding a brand new pot on its hands.

 _The pot the statue had thrown earlier today..._ I thought. _I wonder where it landed. Well, it's not like it's going to be important..._

Masuta cleared his throat. "Ahem! As you can see, it's officially night-time now, and-"

"Wait, night-time?" I interrupted, walking outside to see it for myself. He was right. Once I walked outside, I was greeted by the dark sky.

"Damn, we spent almost a whole day down there?" Jasmine said.

"Is that even possible?" Onoji asked.

"There is something fishy about this!" Kaya shouted. "Maybe Mr. Kikai over there has the power to control time! Wahahahaha! Yup, that's right! Time travel!"

"I... don't think that's the case, Kaya," Aiko said. "The logical explanation for that is..."

"The trial was so intense, we lost track of the time..." Amaya completed.

"AHEM!" Masuta shouted. "As I was saying before _someone_ interrupted me... It's already night-time. I advise you to go back to your rooms and have a good night's sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another fantastic day, I'm sure. For now, you should rest... Or maybe kill another classmate or two, I don't know. The choice is yours. Either way, I'm out!"

Before anyone could reply, Masuta ran off to... somewhere else.

 _Where does he sleep?_ I wondered.

"Um... I think I'll just... go back to my room," Chihiro said, walking away. "There's... some stuff I need to think about. Good night."

Chihiro exited the temple. Itaki followed right behind her.

"Well, I guess I'll be going, too," Jasmine said.

"H-Hold on," Denki replied. "Wh-What should I do about... him?"

Denki pointed at Hayato, who was still unconscious. 

"Just leave him in his room, I suppose..." Aiko said. "We have his e-Handbook, so I don't think it'll be-"

Jasmine crossed her arms. "Tie him up."

"Wh-What?!" Aiko exclaimed. "Don't you think that's a little... too extreme?"

"I agree with Jasmine," Saeka said. "We cannot deny the fact he held murderous intent. Not only did he mercilessly stab Yoko's body, but he also tried to get us to make the wrong choice during the trial. Though indirectly, you could say he was trying to kill us all."

"There's some rope in the warehouse, Denki," Jasmine said. "I'll help you."

"W-WAIT!" Aiko shouted. "Don't you think we should at least-"

Without waiting for Aiko to finish her sentence, Denki and Jasmine headed off to the warehouse, carrying Hayato's unconscious body with them.

"Off they go..." I said.

"Don't worry, Aiko," Onoji said. "Let's go to bed"

"Yeah..." Aiko sighed. "Let's go. Tomorrow's sure going to be a long day..."

And with that, everyone went back to their respective rooms. No one spoke a single word as we walked to the dormitory.

* * *

After locking the door to my room, I sat right there, on the floor.

"Goddammit!" I muttered.

_How much more time will we have to spend here...?!_

The killing game. I knew it was far from over. It had really just begun. Nevertheless, I could only hope that, by some miracle, it ended that night. Maybe if Katashi had gone away with it, it would have been better...

_Mum... I want to see my mum..._

I laid down on my bed. For a couple of hours, I tried to sleep, but to no avail. Knowing it was useless to keep trying, I got up, and headed outside.

Walking aimlessly, I ended up reaching the nice little area near the dormitory, the one with the benches. For some reason, I always came back to that place when I felt depressed.

Once again, I found myself staring at the sky. However, unlike all of the other days I had spent trapped in that campus, I could clearly see the stars. And they were beautiful. However, their beauty seemed really out of place given our situation. They looked... fake. Perhaps it was because I had grown accustomed to the boring empty view of the sky.

Just like Hayato's smile... That beautiful sky seemed fake.

_I wonder... Maybe someone else is staring at those same stars... Someone in the outside world..._

"Can't sleep, huh?"

Caught by surprise, I turned my head around to see Amaya standing right in front of me.

"Too focused on the sky to notice me, I see," she said, sitting right beside me.

"I-I'm sorry..."

Amaya giggled. "No need to apologise. I bet everyone else would be here as well if they had noticed how beautiful the sky is tonight. They were too busy staring at their feet... The trial left everyone a bit depressed, from what I can tell."

 _How can someone not be depressed after that?_ I thought.

"Hey, want some soda?" she asked, throwing a red can towards me.

"Thanks..." I replied, catching it midair.

"Nice catch! Just don't drink it too fast. Aiko says it's bad for-"

I drank it in one gulp.

"Hey, didn't you listen to me!" Amaya shouted.

"Where did you get this?" I asked. "I don't remember seeing this brand in the kitchen."

"Itaki found some, and I bought it from him," she said. "He has some really random stuff in that store of his, I must say."

_Itaki, huh..._

Amaya looked upwards. "The sky here is really beautiful. Now I understand why you love staring at it so much. It's certainly something you don't get to see every day. The mountains in the distance give it a very distinct feeling."

"I suppose so..." I replied. "One of the first drawings I ever made was of the stars. However, because I lived in a big city, I could never see them for myself, so I had to resort to looking up a sky map online. And when I finally found a high-quality image... I fell in love with it. The stars are arranged so majestically in the sky... It's like a work of art, I think."

She smiled. "A drawing... You know, I constantly forget that you're the Ultimate Animator. You're always trying to act so serious, it's hard to imagine you drawing silly cartoons."

I frowned. "They're not silly! They're just... er... eccentric. Can't you appreciate the power of abstract art?!"

She looked at me with a provocative smile. "They're still just cartoons, weeb."

_Why does she keep calling me that?!_

She laughed. "Ha! I'm just kidding. Don't take my jokes so seriously, okay? I'm just trying to-"

"Amaya, do you think we'll get to leave this place someday?"

Amaya flinched, surprised by the sudden change in topic. It took a few seconds for her to formulate her answer.

"...Does it matter?" she said.

I gasped. "Huh?! O-Of course it does! I... I don't want to spend my whole life here! I have some stuff to take care of...!"

"You worry too much, Daichi," she said. "You have your whole life ahead of you! Well, I can't exactly guarantee that it'll be long, but... Don't you think we should just focus on our future while our lives last? Who cares about the past?!"

"But if I had done things differently... Maybe Yoko and Katashi could have-"

Suddenly, she stood up. "WHO CARES?! They're dead! But _we_ are NOT! The only way to go is forwards, Daichi!"

 _Throw away my past? No way,_ I thought. _That would be getting rid of what makes me... Daichi Abe. And even if I wanted to, it'd still be impossible._

"I think the stars are beautiful," she said, "but I'm not obsessed with them like you seem to be."

"I'm not obsessed with them..." I muttered.

She seemed to ignore my response. "You want to know why I'm not obsessed with them? Because they are from the past. The light they emit travels a long distance before reaching the Earth. The light we're seeing represents the stars' past."

I averted my eyes. _Even more reason to keep staring at them..._

"You can't change the past," she said. "But you can choose your future."

_You're wrong._

"That's why I like this sky," she said. "A sky without a single star in it..."

_...Wait, what did she say? A sky... without a single star in it?!_

I turned my head upwards again. She was right _—_ there wasn't a single star in that sky. The scenery I had seen just a few minutes before... It had completely vanished.

 _Was it all just my imagination...?_ _Damn,_ _I must be really tired..._

Nothing about that campus had changed. The sky would always remain starless.

_It... will always remain that way..._

"Astra inclinant sed non obligant. The stars incline us, they do not bind us."

I raised an eyebrow. "Amaya...?"

"It's a Latin phrase," she said. "I think it fits the situation we're currently in."

I crossed my arms. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe in astrology."

"That's not the point!" she yelled. "What matters is what this phrase actually means."

_...What it actually means?_

Amaya continued, "In this case, the stars represent a greater force. You can think of it as God, fate, or whatever else you want. Said force supposedly controls our lives. However, according to that phrase, this thought is not entirely true. This 'force' only nudges us in a certain direction; the path we'll take in our lives is ultimately our choice."

I lowered my head. _Being trapped here... It wasn't my choice! If I was really in control of my life, I would *not* be here!_

She pointed her finger towards the sky. "This starless sky... I think it's a sign that a force of that kind does not exist here. We are free."

_You're wrong! That can't be true! If that... If that were the case... then why did Yoko and Katashi have to die?!_

"And this freedom... is our hope."

I raised an eyebrow, confused. "Our... hope?"

She smiled confidently. "Hope that there exists a future in which no one else has to die. I'm sure that future exists. We just have to take the right path."

...

...

...

...

...

_...Hope?_

_...Does a future like that... really exist?_

I took a deep breath. I struggled to keep my eyes open. It was probably already past midnight.

"I'm sorry, Amaya," I said. "I think... Um... I'll be going now. See you tomorrow."

Before I stood up, however, she jumped towards me.

"Wh-Why are hugging me?" I asked.

"You look sad, Daichi," she said.

"Y-Yeah..."

"I don't know if someone has ever told you this, but it's really great to talk to you. I don't really know why, though... I guess that's just a charm of yours."

_Me? A great person to talk to? I barely spoke during this conversation!_

Without waiting for a reply, Amaya stood up and ran towards the dormitory. "Anyway, see you tomorrow!"

 _See you..._ _tomorrow..._

_Tomorrow..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

* * *

**Chapter 1: Ashes of Hope - Deadly Life [END]**

* * *

****

* * *

**Chapter 1: Ashes of Hope [END]**

* * *

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand done! That's it for Chapter One! What did you think?


	24. Interlude: Target

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! First and foremost, this story is not dead. Chapter Two ended up being much longer than I expected (about double the length of Chapter One, so ~140k words). I'm still only about 25% done with the trial, so it might still take a while before I go back to my usual update schedule. However, since I don't want to keep you guys without updates for another two months, I decided to post this interlude chapter in advance. 
> 
> Also, there's one scene I was planning to put at the end of Chapter Two, but it kinda broke the pacing, so I decided to post it as an interlude chapter between the last part of the Prologue and the first part of Chapter One. It should be ready within a couple of days. Don't worry, it doesn't change anything in Chapter One.
> 
> And yes, unlike the rest of the story, these interlude chapters are written in third person.
> 
> That's about it! Enjoy the chapter!

After Daichi and Amaya returned to the dormitory, the campus became awfully silent at first sight—or rather, hearing. However, if one were to listen closely, they'd hear the hushed voices that should have been kept secret.

"Stop right there."

In one of the many corridors of the main building, a voice echoed. There was no response.

"Tell me. Tell me who my target is."

The owner of the voice, who from now on shall be referred to as "One", began tapping their foot impatiently.

"..."

There was no reply. The other person—"Two"—didn't seem to have any desire to respond to One's demands.

"I'm sure you know who they are. Tell me."

No matter how much One insisted, Two did not utter a single word.

"Cat got your tongue?" One said. "You know the gravity of this situation, don't you?"

It was very sudden. One grabbed whatever was inside their pocket, and with incredible agility, pointed it towards Two.

A gun.

"Now then," One said, "care to tell me who my target is?"

Two hesitated. They seemed to have known One's intentions from the beginning, but, even then, they were completely powerless in that situation. 

After a few seconds of deep thinking, Two finally opened their mouth. They raised their head, and glared at One with a serious expression. "No."

"Huh?" One replied. "What?"

"I am not going to tell you," Two said.

One frowned. "Do you seriously want to die?"

"If you shoot me, you will become the blackened," Two said calmly. "And you _will_ be found out. You saw what we accomplished during the trial, didn't you? My death is meaningless. You _will_ get caught."

One held their gun tighter. "Sh-Shut up! I don't want to listen to your bullshit!"

"And if you get caught," Two continued, "your target will survive. Am I wrong?"

One took a few steps backwards.

Ignoring their fears, Two took a few confident steps in One's direction. "Killing me—or anyone, for that matter—is the worst choice you could possibly make."

"ARGH!" One groaned. "FINE!"

At that moment, One also began to slowly walk towards Two. After a few seconds, the distance between them had been shortened to a single metre.

"I won't kill you... for now," One said, "but if you tell anyone about this... Then my mission is gone for good."

One's gun touched Two's forehead. A drop of sweat dropped from the latter's face.

"I won't reveal your identity to anyone," One said. "Repeat those words."

"I won't reveal your identity to anyone," Two complied.

One sighed, putting their gun back in their pocket. "Good. You better keep your word. Otherwise... I'll kill _him_."

Two's eyes widened.

"Yeah, _him_ ," One said. "If you spill the beans, then it's game over for me. It wouldn't matter if I killed him, would it? Hahaha..."

And with that, One ran away, out of Two's sight and back into the darkness of the night. Two remained frozen in place for a few minutes before heading back to the dormitory.

* * *

**Chapter Two:** **Much Ado About Nothing**

* * *

[[Opening Theme]](https://youtu.be/jJzw1h5CR-I)

**Song:** _Dramaturgy -_ Eve


End file.
